No snark and no offense meant, but statements like this put me in the mind of how we were told that Iraq could be "easily" won, would be over quickly, would be 100% successful, and would cost nothing.
I definitely understand the hesitation, but we're not talking about a ground invasion. I'll worry when I hear that we've committed ground forces to the situation.
The US Military has some unbelievably high operating costs. Most of these costs are going to occur whether or not we engage in an operation. There are training cycles that go on and on all the time where units use live munitions to train. For example we fire tomahawks all the time at old ships that we weld all the compartments closed on. Also, the fuel costs for flying and cruising are immense. One of the things that you don't get told is that much of this training gets canceled because the live operation can be concluded as "training". Not to say that live operations are cheaper, just make sure you subtract the monies that would have been spent anyway to see what he real "extra" cost is.
Unfortunately, we have to live with the fact that we own the problems in Iraq. There is no amount of crying that will undue what has been done, or unspend the money already spent, or not take out the loans we took out to fund it. Iraq will be a thorn in our side sadly, for least a few more years. In light of that, do we deny our allies when they ask us for assistance and use the excuse of, "we made a horrible mistake a decade ago so poo on you"?
As far as commitment is concerned, the UN resolution only mandates that we protect the political activists from being massacred outright, it says specifically that an invasion and regime change is not on the table as far as we are concerned.
Either Ghaddafi is removed from power or the no fly zone will have to be maintained indefinitely; there is no way either side will take any kind of cease fire or amnesty seriously now.
Now that UN and the Arab League have sided against Ghaddafi, the only ones who benefit from him staying in power is Lockhead Martin and Boeing. Heh, maybe that's all we need to know to understand why the NATO isn't pressing for regime change now. An indefinite no fly zone in Lybia has its benefits; the slaughter is averted, access to energy resources is stabilized, no chance of angry Arabs putting an unknown element in power, an excuse to keep a few thousand troops and Tomahawk Missiles right next to Egypt and Tunisia just in case who ever ends up in charge there get any funny ideas and lots more tasty no bid contracts for defense contractors with Iraq spinning down (btw, my cynicism is over 9000)
Here's hoping the Libyan rebels have the minerals to get rid of that son of a bitch once and for all.
Comments
Unfortunately, we have to live with the fact that we own the problems in Iraq. There is no amount of crying that will undue what has been done, or unspend the money already spent, or not take out the loans we took out to fund it. Iraq will be a thorn in our side sadly, for least a few more years. In light of that, do we deny our allies when they ask us for assistance and use the excuse of, "we made a horrible mistake a decade ago so poo on you"?
As far as commitment is concerned, the UN resolution only mandates that we protect the political activists from being massacred outright, it says specifically that an invasion and regime change is not on the table as far as we are concerned.
Now that UN and the Arab League have sided against Ghaddafi, the only ones who benefit from him staying in power is Lockhead Martin and Boeing. Heh, maybe that's all we need to know to understand why the NATO isn't pressing for regime change now. An indefinite no fly zone in Lybia has its benefits; the slaughter is averted, access to energy resources is stabilized, no chance of angry Arabs putting an unknown element in power, an excuse to keep a few thousand troops and Tomahawk Missiles right next to Egypt and Tunisia just in case who ever ends up in charge there get any funny ideas and lots more tasty no bid contracts for defense contractors with Iraq spinning down (btw, my cynicism is over 9000)
Here's hoping the Libyan rebels have the minerals to get rid of that son of a bitch once and for all.