ARAB LEAGUE CALLS FOR A NO-FLY ZONE IN LYBIA

Well, they have been moving fast, lately. Moreover this is indeed a very significant change from the actions of the European powers in other recent crises. It will be interesting to see what unfolds. It may not take a lot of professional opposition to break the morale of Ghadaffis forces. Even in Iraq, taking out Saddam's army & Air Force wasn't much of a job - it's the aftermath that involves the risk & uncertainty.

I think they have only been moving fast because events in Benghazi have forced the pace. I think that a response even as late as a week ago would have been more effective at eroding the moral of Got-Daffy's military. In the long run (weeks as compared to days), that will the most significant contribution this effort can make, short of going in with troops. I'm very pleased with the French response, especially as they have had to come from Corsica (as you and i have both pointed out, that makes this a very expensive operation in order to keep aircraft over Benghazi constantly). Until this afternoon, i despaired of getting prompt action out of anyone.

As for taking out the Iraqi military, don't gloss over the history there, O'George. In 1862, the French, thinking they had the greatest army in the world, arrogantly thought to brush aside the Mexican Army of the Reform and take Pueblo in a day's work. They got mauled, and it took them weeks. The battle proper was fought on May 5th, 1862, and hence the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.

We would do well not to gloss these things over, and not to forget valuable lessons. When you're talking about taking out Iraqi forces as having been not much of a job, i would remind you of our battle of Pueblo, our Cinco de Mayo . . . An Nasiriyah. Ask the Marines if that "wasn't much of a job." It's never a good idea to succumb to hubris in military operations.

No argument there. However it is simply a fact that the great majority of our casualties and cost in Iraq came after the fall of Saddam. His military forces were in fact quite well equipped and battle hardened after years of war with Iran. There's as yet no indication that Libya's forces are either that good or extremely loyal to a damaged leader. The Mexicans who fought for Juarez did a better job than those who supported Maximilian.

However, given the limited forces committed here and the likely limited committment and endurance of all the participants (us included) it will take careful control to limit the risks you and others have noted.

Hundreds of supporters of Gaddafi late Saturday rallied outside his residence in the Tripoli suburbs in an apparent bid to protect it from French military jets, Al Jazeera TV reported.

Where are the forces from the Arab League?????

What did you expect? That's why the US has always been in a catch-22 position on this crisis.

The Libyans have a pretty dismal military record. Their incursions into Chad, dating back to the 1960s were only successful to the extent that there were rebels in the north of Chad around whom the Libyans could rally. They were badly humiliated in the "Toyota War" when "loyal" Chadean forces in Toyota "technicals" (those little pickups with the machine guns mounted in the bed) made monkeys out of a force of Libyans about the size of a reinforced, independent brigade (with plenty of AFVs). It was a pretty pathetic performance.

I just hope his military get disillusioned quickly, and that this can be resolved quickly.

This is typical of his style of histrionics. Nobody is going to bomb Tripoli without some serious provocation from Got-Daffy. This is par for the course for that blow-hard, a meaningless gesture feebly intended to appeal to "the Arab street."

I was thinking of that too.

Back in the '70s & '80s part of the carrier routine in the Med was the periodic drills in which we would fly a c-130 along the Libyan coast (well inside the Gulf of Sidra which Ghadaffi claimed as his territorial airspace and wasters) and post a gaggle of fighters below their radar horizon waiting for the Libyans to come out, while other intel aircraft monitored their communications to alert us. Several times we heard the alert that they has ordered the launch of interceptors, but oddly they never took off. Twice we heard that they launched but refused the order to intercept the C-130 - once just after we just lit the burners to climb up to get them. A few years later they did come out to intercept and our guys bagged two of them.

Also from Guardian live updates:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/19/libya-no-fly-zone-live-updates

Libya doesn't have a UN rep. Now, what?

The humanitarianism is touching.

That's good. Interesting that the Syrians, Saudis, Egyptians and Algerians are doing nothing. The UAE and Qatar are worried about Iran and need friends.

Theoretically, at least, Egypt is a part of the coalition.

Didn't know that. They have airbases that would be very useful.

I thought you could splatter them from silos in Idaho by remote control.

nah ... they're in Montana.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/19/libya-no-fly-zone-live-updates

I expect that's undisciplined AA fire in response to the cruise missile impacts. I doubt that they're flying night missions yet ... before they've had a chance to assess the effectiveness of the missile strikes.

American, French and British military forces have hammered Libyan military positions with missiles and fighter jets in the first phase of an operation that will include enforcement of a U.N.-mandated no-fly zone. FULL STORY

CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/libya.civil.war/index.html?hpt=T1

You all knew that already didn't you?