Libya

[chaffey]

We'll have to as somebody has already mentioned we don't have the money to go any further do we? Although there is oil involved so you never know!!

[big fell!]

To those of you who are saying lets go over there and assist the rebels, how many young British soldiers lives would you trade so that Libya can be "free"? Because when you say " yes, i agree we should go and help to overthrow gaddaffi" make no mistake MORE good British soldiers WILL die. I dont know how Tony Blair and Cameron sleep at night...

[felixthelogchopper]

Problem being that the rebels don't have aircraft so i think that enforcing the no fly zone is levelling the playing field a little.

 

Actually, they do have aircraft and so far have shot down one, possibly two, of their own.

[chaffey]

Actually, they do have aircraft and so far have shot down one, possibly two, of their own.

 

Wouldn't imagine that they would be able to replicate the fire power of the Libyan state. Also think that there seems to be a misunderstanding somewhere. We are only going in to support the Arab states. We're not going into a full blown war with Libya as this would be in nobodys interest. As for Prime ministers sleeping at night i think you'd be surprised what people will do to keep their nation happy. Look at the complaints about fuel prices even on Arbtalk and that will let you know why we went into Iraq!! It's not really about anyone else but the westerners having what they want:confused1:

[MattyF]

I have always been in favour of military intervention to remove dictators... til now. Maybe its my aging, perhaps getting wiser with age, perhaps a growing unwillingness to be hood-winked by government spin, but I fail to see how the removal of an Evil Dictator will help these Middle Eastern countries. The removal of Hussein created a power vacuum, and I'm sure this will happen with Libya. The populace of many of these countries may be oppressed, but they would prefer that than to be pawns in our war games, and once again we will be drawn into a "policing" role, with our forces being killed. These Middle Eastern countries have been in turmoil since times immemorial, and it seems to take a firm hand to control them, and like it or not, the likes of Hussein and Ghaddafi fill that role. If the boot was to be on the other foot, how would we feel if another nation tried to take control of us, by force?

Agree 100% with Andy,that was why we left sadam in power in the first gulf war, there are to many factions and religions that will unless ruled by an iron fist just kill each other...we can't westernise them and they don't want to be westernised, if they do they leave there country and come to the states or Europe any way.

[big fell!]

Wouldn't imagine that they would be able to replicate the fire power of the Libyan state. Also think that there seems to be a misunderstanding somewhere. We are only going in to support the Arab states. We're not going into a full blown war with Libya as this would be in nobodys interest. As for Prime ministers sleeping at night i think you'd be surprised what people will do to keep their nation happy. Look at the complaints about fuel prices even on Arbtalk and that will let you know why we went into Iraq!! It's not really about anyone else but the westerners having what they want:confused1:

 

Keeping the nation happy? Just get onto the streets and ask people if they think we should be acting even in a supporting role in Libya. How is Cameron keeping us happy by supporting the Arab states? That wont keep fuel prices down.

[chaffey]

So why did we go into Iraq and are now offering our assistance to Libya whilst Mugabe has done whatever he liked in Zimbabwe? A former colony as well? Only answer is oil and it might not be now that we see the benefits of it.

[arbogrunt]

As harsh as this may sound, I think we should just leave the Libyans to kill each other. It has nothing to do with us at all:thumbdown:

As a number of people have stated, there are many more instances of dictators inflicting suffering on their own people which remain un-punished.

On the positive side, if Gaddaffi gets the boot, we'll keep our oil contracts...and we'll have to replace all their military equipment we are currently destroying..£££££££££....Hmmmm, maybe I should have been a politico!.

 

I do however, find it quite amazing that we have just retired our aircraft carriers and made a few hundred pilots redundant weeks before entering yet another avoidable war-situation.

Call me old fashioned..but that just seems...STUPID.

[RobArb]

Is it just me on this one: Libya has oil and some internal conflict and the world responds with swift and unanimous military force. North Korea, with no oil, is building nuclear bombs, oppressing it's people and attacking other nations.....and the world doesn't care and does nothing? hmmmmmmm

[Andy Collins]

Interesting, politically. UK, EU, North America and UAE for the intervention, China, Russia, African Union against, and indeed the African Union calling for an "immediate stop" to the attacks. Now I may well be wrong, but those "against" have little to lose or gain by intervention, whereas those "for" stand to gain a lot more, as said control of oil and its prices.

With France's Sarkozy leading the initial call to arms, I cant help wondering if he is just trying to push himself forward as a strong politician (dont France have elections coming up?) There's a lot more to this than supporting a few rebels and "levelling the playing field" by removing Gaddafis air power, and until we can determine the true reasonings we should keep out of it.