starting this thread, which i hope will be short-lived, to keep the board up to date with latest reports gleaned from the net

Wow, a few medics.

Just can't help yourself can you? Don't you realise you need to seek your own medical assistance for this compulsion?

UN - it can certainly be a very frustrating and slow and at times, totally ineffectual ..... this is always the problem when trying to reach decisions by effectively unanimous consensus - one veto often derails the whole ..... however, overall it is a force for good (corrupt? .... if at all, then minimal even compared to IOC or FIFA!) and, i think, a necessary device to rein in at least some unilateral excesses.



peter - i assume from the tone of your post that you support the action so far being taken to support the libyan rebels ..... that being so, what do you think should be done next?

assuming you concur that we (UN+ AL etc) should not send in ground forces, do you think we should supply arms through one channel or another?

taking it that MG is removed by one means or another, should we help (whatever that may mean!) libya to be governed by democratic means or do we just walk away and leave them to their own devices, shambolic and violent as that may well be at least in the initial stages?

Rag tag rebel army have no chance of taking capital without more help from UN forces.

perhaps, though i am not sufficiently knowledgeable to make a valid judgement on that ..... mind you, if increasing numbers of the populace and army defect from GM, then all bets change anyway

but tell me bernard, are you suggesting that UN would need to send in ground forces or that the rebels would need to be sent (even more) arms from outside?

would you support the concept of UN ground forces being used, and if so, as front line troops or pretty much just as bystanders to any military action?

Make it an even fight give the rebels more arms.

ok, but then how high a risk that those arms will ultimately fall into the "wrong hands" - e.g. al qaeda - and is that a risk worth taking?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12874014
Libya: No arms for rebels, UK's Liam Fox says

Coalition countries attacking targets in Libya will not supply arms to anti-Gaddafi rebels, UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox has told the BBC.

There are reports in the Sunday Times claiming plans to supply weapons to rebels are being drawn up.

But Dr Fox said there was a UN arms embargo across the entire country, adding "we have to accept that".

unless such arms were routed through AL or similar!

God help the rebels, and their family if Gadaffe stays and overpowers the them.

now the platitudes are out of the way, please may we have your view on post 232

"But Dr Fox said there was a UN arms embargo across the entire country, adding "we have to accept that"."

If the Fox said that, I would think that the arms are already on their way to the the "rebels".

Mind they could be withdrawn at a moment's notice.

also fails to answer the question i asked!

Silly Mr C the arms to the rebels would be supplied on loan, and they would give them back to the USA when Gadaffe is defeated.

Reading your posts I think you are a wind up merchant, or one of low education who has a chip on his shoulder.

for goodness sake! ..... i have asked a sensible question but you seem incapable of answering it ...... i know my own opinion, but i am interested to hear what others have to say - relevantly that is

Cynic,

The arms are already in the wrong hands!

Is this guy for real.

i'll ignore fred's comment, and bernard's target is unclear, but to set out what i think .....

i have already set out in earlier posts why i support the notion of the NF zone, but would (almost certainly) be against the involvement of land forces.

with regard to the supply of arms to the rebels, i think that on balance "we" need to - lots of ways for the so-called embargo to be circumvented - on the basis that it is better to deal with the current devil asap, leaving any subsequent ghouls and beasties to be dealt with as and when they arise ..... far from a perfect scenario, but perfection is not even a remote likelihood.

once MG is removed, there will be some very uncomfortable and immediate problems with regard to how the transition from long-entrenched dictatorship to some form
of democracy is put in place ..... at this juncture, i'ld like to think that "we" could be relatively neutral observers while the libyans get to grips with their new life, but there is the obvious fear that keeping "us" removed and at least not directly involved might prove very difficult

Even as confusion surrounded the legality of the western alliance arming rebel groups in Libya, United States President Barack Obama on Saturday said the military operation Odyssey Dawn was succeeding.

According to observers here, the Obama administration believes the United Nations resolution that authorised international intervention in Libya has the flexibility to [arm the rebels].

i've read that ..... now tell us where you stand, or are comfortable sitting on the sharpened picket fence?

.