Around 9:30 PM on Sunday, during the first hour of the John Batchelor show, he had on a guest – former CIA analyst Pat Lang, who was involved in the targeting of Qadaffi in 1986. A few of the comments give insights into one possible scenario – it is my hope he has the ear of nobody in the Obama administration.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-3-20-11-batchelor-9pm/id325679292?i=92318825
“Everyone knows that what we are talking about here is an intervention to get rid of Qadaffi”
“They ought to try to kill him [Qadaffi] – I think that’s a good idea – he certainly deserves it”
“We need to put a few dozen people into Libya – I don’t care whether they’re in civilian clothes or not – to organize, coordinate, and give a modicum of training to the rebels and get them going in the direction of Tripoli from both East and West behind a moving curtain of tactical air and if that happens, there is nothing in Libya that will stop that. They’ll make it all the way to Tripoli”
“The American Public is confused by what is being said, and by the attitude of its own government. This could be done in two or three months – the model of what we did with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan at the beginning of the war there – using some guys from Special Forces to take them into Kabul is exactly the right model here – this doesn’t have to be a gigantic enterprise here.”
Having now read the resolution, I don’t see anything about a group of foreign nationals in civilian clothing marching a group of soldiers down the road to attack Tripoli.
No, and you won’t. That analyst was just dreaming about the kind of response that a Teddy Roosevelt or a Ronald Reagan might consider, so as to avoid a lot of innocent people getting killed.
Although either of these two leaders would have had the guts to use the Marines. Oh, that’s right… They did.
Does France still have a Foreign Legion?
Maybe I haven’t been paying attention, but the “2 or 3 months” for his plan to work in Afghanistan hasn’t won the war in Afghanistan yet
Barack’s handling of the wars is reminiscent of Lincoln’s handling the War of Southern Independence. Neither knew jack about strategy and tactics and thought that by shuffling the General Staff victory could be achieved. Instead a state of confusion ensued where no firm goal was established and the wars continued unabated until luck interceded for one side.
I’m reading this morning that Germany has shifted from neutral to adversarial to this action, Italy is also pulling back. The U.N. resolution contains language requiring members states to allow access to their military bases for enforcing the resolution.
What happened that last time Italy and France were on the opposite side of a war from France and England? Maybe this time Germany won’t make the mistake of invading Russia.