You can find many compelling arguments that the U.S. military action against Libya is a mistake in the Corner, from Andy McCarthy, Jim Manzi, Mark Krikorian, and others.
Let me offer one or two notes of mild support for what’s been done so far, or at least the positive benefits in the first few days of bombing: The Benghazi Massacre scheduled for this week is postponed indefinitely. A bunch of mercenaries hired by Qaddafi aren’t going to be around to collect their paychecks. I think it may be beneficial to America’s interests for the world to know that even President Apology Tour is willing to bomb a tyrant the moment he starts casually tossing around the notion of blowing up passenger jets over the Med.
Having said that, considering the complaints from both congressional Democrats and House Republican leadership, it appears Congress would like more updates and a better sense of our long-term goals, Pele.
You got the sequence backwards. We threatened to impose a no-fly zone, which includes destroying Libyan air defenses and the Libyan air force. AFTER we made that threat, Qaddafi threatened to blow up airliners. (Not that anyone believes he would do such a thing, because that would certainly escalate the no-fly zone into an all-out war on Qaddafi.) We did not threaten a no-fly zone because he threatened airliners.
You got the sequence backwards. We threatened to impose a no-fly zone, which includes destroying Libyan air defenses and the Libyan air force. AFTER we made that threat, Qaddafi threatened to blow up airliners. (Not that anyone believes he would do such a thing, because that would certainly escalate the no-fly zone into an all-out war on Qaddafi.) We did not threaten a no-fly zone because he threatened airliners.
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