why does libya get diplomacy??

iraq gets stomped!

libya has wmd!

iraq has nothing!

this admin gets more disgusting by the second!!

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that American controlled air bases in Iraq are 5-10 minutes flying time for F-16's from Damascus and Teheran. All the former Wheelis AFB outside of Tripoli is close to is Cairo and Tunis... and not that close at that. :)

I fully expect that we'll have bases in Iraq years and years after they have an elected gov't in place there.

We need Libya to stop being a "terrorist", so we can back out of ILSA and stop looking weak because we refuse to enforce it vis-a-vis Japanese oil companies doing business with Libya on the Libya/Malta continental shelf.

munny munny munny!

Plus, they probably got bribed like crazy.

Use it to illustrate Bush hypocracy!

He doesn't want his country destroyed by US crass ineptitude. Not that Bush* would have done anything anyway, Libya has no oil worth taking.

I'd be more provocative and entertaining in my response, but then the post would be seen as a sex thread and get deleted. :eyes:

Libya has no oil worth taking.

2 million/barrels/day potential production... not much, I guess. :eyes:

It seems apologists for Saddam are more numerous than those of Qadhafi.

Why? Certainly Qadhafi is the more intelligent of the two and has attempted to bring benevolent change to Libya based on his own deep philosophical beliefs. He has been a vocal character in the Arab world and provided a sancuary for the homeless PLO. Yes he has engaged in war and supported terrorism but why is he not being defended to the same degree as Saddam? Even if you hate them both, why is the level of devil advocacy not equal?

"...why is he not being defended to the same degree as Saddam?"

I've not spotted anyone defending Hussein (I'm not on first name terms with him) on DU. I've seen plenty of people criticising the nature and the manner of the invasion of Iraq though. Perhaps you're confused and equating the objection of an illegal and violent takeover of a country to the support of the incumbent presidency.

"Even if you hate them both, why is the level of devil advocacy not equal?"

That's the nature of devi's advocacy. Scarface2004 was pointing out the irony of the situation -- Hussein had no WMD, "we" invade. Libya does have WMD, "we" negotiate. In other words, he's criticising the current WH administration. It is certainly not a defence of Gaddafi.

Perhaps you're confused and equating the objection of an illegal and violent takeover of a country to the support of the incumbent presidency.

When I look at the families recovering bodies from the mass graves, I'm afraid I can't make much sense of comments like "illegal and violent takeover of a country". The place was a charnel house people! Acting like it was some damned vacation paradise just looks daft!

There is a lot of hard visualisation that needs to be done for us to figure out how the US can participate in the 21st century without becoming moribund. I don't think the Republicans have any worthwhile visions in that regard, but it scares the shit out of me to watch all the purposeless flailing around that the Democrats are doing in the runup to the Presidential campaign. Kerry, who I haven't much time for in most regards, is about the only one of the candidates who has even made an effort to put down any thoughts on where America ought to be going. Everybody else has bought into the "War on Terrorism" bugbear. When you react to that sort of thing, either by saying that you're against, like Dean and Kucinich or for, but could do it better, like most of the rest of them, you've let Bush define the terms of the campaign. That is stark raving suicide! For crying out loud, ask Carville if you don't believe me. You never let your opponent set the rules of the engagement unless you have a death wish. :o

Hussein did not.

Gadaffi tried bluster once, half of his family were killed in theior sleep in tents in the desert where they thought they were safe. They were mistaken.

Gadaffi learned the hard way.

Hussein decided to subject him people to that fate because he did not want weapons inspectors disturbing his privacy around the palace.

You can expect that Gadaffi's other half of the family had targets on their backs had he not responded correctly.