Attacks are already being made on Serte which has always been firmly in the hands of Gadaffi. It is interesting the way that the frame is changing in reports. It is all now about regime change. Note that there was not a peep of complaint when the rebels rejected the road map for peace because among other things it did not require Gadaffi to step down. In the talk frame there is no suggestion of an immediate cease fire and negotiations. If the coalition were truly concerned about casualties even just civilian casualties these would be the most important clauses.
By the way it seems to me it is France and Britain and lately Italy who are most anxious to rev up the NATO mission--and of course the rebels. The U.S. and no doubt others are more hesitant and the Reuters article no doubt expresses some of the reasons for their misgivings. Cheers, ken
----- Original Message ---- From: Somebody Somebody <philos_case at yahoo.com> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Sent: Fri, April 15, 2011 1:39:17 AM Subject: [lbo-talk] U.S. giving up on Libyan rebels
Actually, Obama, Cameron, and Sarkozy are doubling down in demanding Qadaffi be removed. At this point, American, British, and French prestige demands regime change if only because anything else, though especially a defeat of the rebels, would be a humiliation. If he remains in power, this will inevitably mean the destruction of civilian infrastructure, just like in Serbia, Somalia, and Panama.
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