No-Fly Zone

[caregiver222]

The British MOD grounded and began scarpping the last operational GR-9 Harriers in December 2010, leaving the Brit8ish Carrier Ark Royal with no aircraft and the British without a seaborne strike force, although the aircraft had an operational life of at least five more years.

After much dithering, America's number one golf and basketball champion decided to place United States strike aircraft under United Nations operational control to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya.

What's your opinion?

[adgal]

Yeah, saw that too.  They guy is a serious serious lunatic.  I think he honestly thinks he can win here....thinks he is invincible or something.

[teko]

Looks like the french are in there and altho we are in on it, we are not in the forefront which is great! We are all united and doing this together!  Lunatic has got to go before he slaughters anymore people.

[mikesimon]

Obama's favorable ratings have been increasing lately based on the recent polls I've been seeing.

The Libyan issue is troubling.
There are other atrocities which have been committed and are being committed and we haven't engaged. There seems to something about the Middle East that makes us think we should and can intervene.

And has anyone mentioned the fact that we can't afford to do anything about Libya?

I am amazed that the middle class in this country is getting crushed and we can't afford to help them but we can afford to fund forays into countries abroad.

We better start doing things in this country because we have a lot of urgent problems right here.

Mike

[adgal]

Lol, we even sent our 6 planes over.  I'm glad we are helping, but think 6 planes is sort of funny.  But, every little bit helps.  You are so correct...this is a united effort as well it should be.  I think if the US had of done this alone it would have just fed the anti US sentiment in the Middle East, which would have fed Al Quada's propaganda, putting you even more at risk - would have made a great recruiting tool for them.  So this was quite the smart move on the part of your President.  It's interesting though...Obama's speech said that his mandate was to protect the innocent.  I tend to agree with his stance...it shouldn't be about fighting another war, it should be about protecting innocent's from being slaughtered.  The French stance is to topple the regime.  Much more aggressive.  I suppose the end result is somewhat the same, but I think taking the stance the US is will garner more support, especially from those who are war shy (rightfully so).  I know the Canadian forces that are there are on the same page, at least according to our Prime Minister.  Not to wage war, but to prevent it.  Very different from Iraq or Afghanistan, don't you think?

In all honesty, now that the allied forces are there, I highly doubt this will take long to be over.  Libya has almost no army to speak of (Ghadaffi disbanded it years ago due to paranoia of a military coupe).  So now that action is being taken, I truly think this will be short, and hopefully lives will be saved.  Now I have to wonder if there will be any involvement in Yemen or Bahrain. Same time of situation is going on there, with Yemen being particularly violent.  It's a big scary, but this is a huge move towards democracy, and that is a positive.

Mike, I know what you mean.  Parts of Africa have been brutal for years now..absolutely horrible things are happening.  Sadly, that part of the world has not much to offer (oil!), so the west doesn't seem to want to help.  I don't mean just the US, I am talking about the free countries in general - the UN I guess.  But, whatever the true motivation behind the action being taken in Libya, innocent lives will be saved, so I can live with it.

[Barb135]

"And has anyone mentioned the fact that we can't afford to do anything about Libya?

I am amazed that the middle class in this country is getting crushed and we can't afford to help them but we can afford to fund forays into countries abroad.

We better start doing things in this country because we have a lot of urgent problems right here."

You said that perfectly!!!  

[margypops]

I would suggest that Congress puts an end to all the foreign aid we send , why are we sending aid to China and Russia .? we dole out $68.7 million to Russia 12 million to China  647  million to Nigeria even 20 million set aside for communist Cuba check out www.foreignassistance .gov   Egypt , Israel. The US doles out $58 Billion a year to 20 agencies  Where does the money come from ...taxpayers of course .....