Libyan Civil War Megathread

[Ed Anger]

Gadhafi's men have retaken Mersa Brega.

God, these rebels are a fucking JOKE.

Honestly though, I've seen more organization from the mob at College Park after upsetting Duke.  These guys put the LOL in LOL WUT

Or Paternoville.

[DGuller]

According to CNN, there are less than a 1,000 rebel soldiers in total.  

[Mr.Penguin]

According to CNN, there are less than a 1,000 rebel soldiers in total.

Well see for you self, the glorious rebel army in full retreat...





If the por- Gaddafi forces have had any real artillery left could they have ended this farce in a heartbeat...

[Tonitrus]

Advance, retreat, advance, retreat....

It's like a bad impersonation of the North African campaign...with Gadhafi playing both the Italians and Rommel.

But I guess that would make NATO....um....Turtledovian lizards.

[Tamas]

Of all the arab rebellions, we decided to side with the most ridicoulous one. 

[Martinus]

That was probably the 9/11 hijackers thinking, or lack thereof. 

Hyperbole is lost on you imbeciles.

People who don't get hyperbole are worse than Hitler.

[Valmy]

People who don't get hyperbole are worse than Hitler.

[MadImmortalMan]

Barack has apparently referred to the Libya war as a "Turd Sandwich". 

I get the impression that he was more or less bullied into participating in this by Hillary.

[Valmy]

Barack has apparently referred to the Libya war as a "Turd Sandwich". 

I get the impression that he was more or less bullied into participating in this by Hillary.

Meh still his fault.  The buck stops with whoever is using Harry Truman's desk.

[derspiess]

Barack has apparently referred to the Libya war as a "Turd Sandwich". 

I get the impression that he was more or less bullied into participating in this by Hillary.

Meh still his fault.  The buck stops with whoever is using Harry Truman's desk.

Yeah, but I wonder if the "Hen Hawks" (Hillary, Susan Rice & that other gal) will become the scapegoats if this thing continues deteriorate.

[Berkut]

Barack has apparently referred to the Libya war as a "Turd Sandwich". 

I get the impression that he was more or less bullied into participating in this by Hillary.

Meh still his fault.  The buck stops with whoever is using Harry Truman's desk.

Yeah, but I wonder if the "Hen Hawks" (Hillary, Susan Rice & that other gal) will become the scapegoats if this thing continues deteriorate.

Meh, I wish it was possible for things not to go the way we hope without the need for scapegoats.

We tried to help the rebels, it may not work out, oh well. Do we have to guarantee success before we try anything?

[derspiess]

Meh, I wish it was possible for things not to go the way we hope without the need for scapegoats.

That's politics, baby.

We tried to help the rebels, it may not work out, oh well.

So... you think we shouldn't hold our leaders responsible for foreign policy blunders?  Should we just forgive & forget? 

Do we have to guarantee success before we try anything?

No.  But it helps to have a few things in order before we start shooting.  Like defining a clear objective, explaining to the American people before or immediately after the commencement of hostilities why this in our national interests, consulting Congress instead of just the Arab League & UN, and actually having a goddamned plan.

As low as the bar has been set for Obama since his inauguration, he managed disappoint even his supporters on this one.

[Berkut]

Why are you assuming that this was a foreign policy blunder (assuming the rebels do in fact fail)?

We tried to help, it didn't work.

That's politics, baby.

Exactly. If the effort doesn't work, lets see how we can use that to our political advantage. If it does work, lets make sure we don't give any credit. Because it is all politics.

What is funny is how you later go on about "national interests". Who gives a shit about our national interests, it is "politics, baby" and that is surely more important than "national interests".

[The Minsky Moment]

No.  But it helps to have a few things in order before we start shooting.  Like defining a clear objective, explaining to the American people before or immediately after the commencement of hostilities why this in our national interests, consulting Congress instead of just the Arab League & UN, and actually having a goddamned plan.

I can't think of a conflict the US was ever involved in that satisfied these conditions.

Even for ww2, Frankie explained the conflict as necessary to respond to the aggression of the Empire of Japan, then promptly directed the vast bulk of US resources in precisely the opposite direction.

[derspiess]

I can't think of a conflict the US was ever involved in that satisfied these conditions.

Even for ww2, Frankie explained the conflict as necessary to respond to the aggression of the Empire of Japan, then promptly directed the vast bulk of US resources in precisely the opposite direction.

You get that additional wiggle room when there's enormous public support to start with.