Here we go....

[Jst2fst]

Well the US just launched attacks against Libya but it looks as if were just gonna keep an observer's distance for now.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/19/19-libya.html?sid=101

[Uncle Punk]

I have very mixed feelings about this. Boots on the ground will be a game changer if it ever comes to that.

[Jst2fst]

I don't like interventionism' date=' but I can't stand the outright murder of unarmed civilians. I'm hoping we can be a small player, and leave the ground troops out of it, but that guy has to go. Besides, they asked us for help. We didn't just step in, uninvited.[/quote']

Asking for help is completely fine even if it goes against what he said he wants to do I support Obama's choice.

Now before some people start to harp on this comment I've got family in the military and they feel the same way. I dont want people to be sent off to be put in harms way. Now as for attacking unarmed civilians that's just inhumane I hope that one of those missels get him right in the ass. Makes no sense as to why he is doing this except to say hey look what I can do and if you don't like it I'll kill you.

[Uncle Punk]

Time will tell too many variables to discuss at this time. I support our president's decision but need to see an end game more clearly. I know that statement will bring about debate however we have an asset problem that needs priorities.

[Fonzie]

Asking for help is completely fine even if it goes against what he said he wants to do I support Obama's choice.

Now before some people start to harp on this comment I've got family in the military and they feel the same way. I dont want people to be sent off to be put in harms way. Now as for attacking unarmed civilians that's just inhumane I hope that one of those missels get him right in the ass. Makes no sense as to why he is doing this except to say hey look what I can do and if you don't like it I'll kill you.

Time will tell too many variables to discuss at this time. I support our president's decision but need to see an end game more clearly. I know that statement will bring about debate however we have an asset problem that needs priorities.

Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong... But didn't Barry O get elected on a platform of bringing our fighting soldiers home... Not committing them to yet a 3rd war/front, + further being spread thin by the aid we're giving Japan??

And... I don't care if Libya asked for help. I don't care if the U.N asked for help. They all ask for help when it's convenient for them... Then when we need help... They're all nowhere to be found.

I distinctly remember Gaddafi's similar crap 25 yrs ago when I was in high school, & the U.S was enforcing a no fly zone over Libya then too. Right around the time of the Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler fight IIRC

[Uncle Punk]

I was not referring to money. If the government would stick to infrastructure and national defense instead of social engineering money for these endeavors wouldn't be a question. I think we spend very little of our GDP on our military. I was referring to the multiple fronts we have populated along with other threats that might need attention.

[Casper]

Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya. Loving this change.

[Casper]

He campaigned on committing more troops to Afghanistan.

Democrats bitched about Iraq. Democrats bitched about Afghanistan. Now Democrats support attacking Libya. It's hilarious.

Does anyone really think the US is involved in Libya for a different reason than Iraq and Afghanistan? It's oil. Only oil. Else we'd be in the Congo, China, Iran, North Korea, and everywhere else where governments kill their citizens when they uprise. Libya just happens to be one of the big oil producers, and instability there raised oil futures.

[Uncle Punk]

It's oil. Only oil. Else we'd be in the Congo, China, Iran, North Korea, and everywhere else where governments kill their citizens when they uprise. Libya just happens to be one of the big oil producers, and instability there raised oil futures.

That's total bullshit; we are there because of a need. Most of the world has oil yet we don't fuck around in Mexico or Canada or anywhere else where there isn't a need. Oil isn't scarce it is found all over this earth and we are not imperialists.

[Casper]

That's total bullshit; we are there because of a need. Most of the world has oil yet we don't fuck around in Mexico or Canada or anywhere else where there isn't a need. Oil isn't scarce it is found all over this earth and we are not imperialists.

And there were really WMD's in Iraq?

[ReconRat]

Libyan rebels asked France for help. France insisted and pushed it through the UN. USA gets involved for our amazing first strike and reconnaissance capabilities. (And all our wonderful unmanned aircraft.)

Yes, Libya has oil, same as just about everywhere else. But if oil is so valuable, why did we literally give the best Iraqi oil field contracts to mainland China? (Short answer, they needed the oil badly.)

WMD in Iraq? There are WMD everywhere, why would they not be in Iraq? Were they found? No. Why? People hide them. It's actually pretty easy to hide something in a desert. Something about lack of landmarks, I think... The UN found evidence of them in the first place, not the USA. Any idea where the Iraqi WMD are now? Yeah, there is a clue or two or three or four.

edit: oh shoot, somebody in the news just remembered that Libya has WMD. I suppose none will be found there either...

Edited March 20, 2011 by ReconRat

[NinjaNick]

And... I don't care if Libya asked for help. I don't care if the U.N asked for help. They all ask for help when it's convenient for them... Then when we need help... They're all nowhere to be found.

I was thinking the same as i was scrolling down and saw your comment, Everyone hates us until they need help.

[ReconRat]

This is starting to look like a Desert Storm coalition...

Aircraft are basing in Sardinia and two mainland Italian airbases, and one airbase in Spain. British aircraft also using Akrotiri in Cyprus. Communist Cyprus not happy. Italy offers all seven of their airbases for use. At least one airbase in Egypt was reported, but nothing further heard about it.

Four Spanish F-18s arrived in Sardinia, plus one refueling aircraft and one maritime surveillance.

United Arab Emirates aircraft arriving there on Sunday.

Qatar aircraft expected, maybe Jordan and Morocco also. Iraq would join if they could.

Eight Italian aircraft initially assigned (4 Tornados).

Dozens of Italian combat aircraft relocated to Sicily airbase. Tornados, F-16s and EuroFighters.

Six Danish F-16s arrive at Sigonella air base in Italy.

Six Belgium F-16s will be ready on Monday. (They've flow here in Ohio.)

edit: Add Norway F-16s.

Canadian aircraft arrive, but aren't ready yet. Six F-18s.

USA not talking, but leaks from command says 15 stealth aircraft active (3 B-2s).

US Marine Harriers reported active with EA-18 Growlers.

US has 42 F-16s at Aviano AFB in Italy. US has existing bases in Italy, Greece, Spain and Turkey. F-16s and F-15s reported active.

Unknown number of British aircraft currently active. Typhoon and Tornado. One E3D surveillance aircraft.

Unknown number of French aircraft active and leading the strikes.

Lots of ships including a Spanish submarine. 4 British warships added. Hard to know for sure with ships. French aircraft carrier joins with Rafale and Super Etenard aircraft. 5 USN ships, but no carriers. US Marine assault ship Bataan with 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit sets sail from NC. Includes Tactical Air Control Squadron 22, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 and Fleet Surgical Team 8. USN amphibious assault ship Kearsarge ARG already there (26th MEU). Canadian warship arrives. One US attack submarine. One British attack submarine.

British SAS special forces active in desert.

edit: Lybia goes on anti-aircraft weapons buying spree.

Syrian arms shipment intercepted in route to Lybia.

Iranian arms shipment offloaded in Syria and transferred through Turkey intercepted in route to Hamas through Egypt.

Edited March 20, 2011 by ReconRat

[John]

And... I don't care if Libya asked for help. I don't care if the U.N asked for help. They all ask for help when it's convenient for them... Then when we need help... They're all nowhere to be found.

and when exactly do we need help from anyone else?

[Fonzie]

Democrats bitched about Iraq. Democrats bitched about Afghanistan. Now Democrats support attacking Libya. It's hilarious.

Does anyone really think the US is involved in Lybia for a different reason than Iraq and Afghanistan? It's oil. Only oil. Else we'd be in the Congo, China, Iran, North Korea, and everywhere else where governments kill their citizens when they uprise. Libya just happens to be one of the big oil producers, and instability there raised oil futures.

Exxxactly! Sadaam tortured & killed his people just the same as Gaddafi has... Yet all the liberals (i.e Dixie Chicks, Penn, Clooney & all their mindless minions) skewered Bush for gettin' us involved over there, & BoBo campaigned on a platform of bringing our soldiers home

and when exactly do we need help from anyone else?

Would've been nice during Katrina... But actually you're making my point for me. We take care of ouselves most of the time, and don't stand there lookin' around for others to take care of us or for handouts

Guess we'll find out if this big west coast quake hits this next week, as predicted

Edited March 20, 2011 by Fonzie

[Disclaimer]

Exxxactly! Sadaam tortured & killed his people just the same as Gaddafi has... Yet all the liberals (i.e Dixie Chicks, Penn, Clooney & all their mindless minions) skewered Bush for gettin' us involved over there, & BoBo campaigned on a platform of bringing our soldiers home

I missed this thread...sorry I'm late to the party.

You'll have to explain the equivalence here? Bush took us into war with Iraq under false pretenses with a pre-emptive strike, and we're in Afghanistan because it was the appropriate target for the "War on Terror". The merits of fighting an ideological war is for another thread. The "War on Terror" appears just slightly more successful than the "War on Drugs" -- but I digress, for another thread.

This Libyan thing, they asked for help -- and we obliged along with other countries. That's a completely different scenario.

[John]

Would've been nice during Katrina... But actually you're making my point for me. We take care of ouselves most of the time, and don't stand there lookin' around for others to take care of us or for handouts

lots of countries offered aid during katrina...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

[Beegreenstrings]

I have very mixed feelings about this. Boots on the ground will be a game changer if it ever comes to that.

Damn, straight! SF should have been in there a long time ago. Faulk this aerial bombing BS. Send in the elite crew let them strategically take out the few causing issues and be done. Instead lets blow massive holes into the ground in areas that have civilians in them.

Not that I care... But we need to STOP getting involved in so many B.S. conflicts and help outselves first.

[Jst2fst]

I missed this thread...sorry I'm late to the party.

You'll have to explain the equivalence here? Bush took us into war with Iraq under false pretenses with a pre-emptive strike, and we're in Afghanistan because it was the appropriate target for the "War on Terror". The merits of fighting an ideological war is for another thread. The "War on Terror" appears just slightly more successful than the "War on Drugs" -- but I digress, for another thread.

This Libyan thing, they asked for help -- and we obliged along with other countries. That's a completely different scenario.

Yes, they wanted help and got help instead of an unwanted hand. I think we did the right thing. As long as we only use the Air Force and no troops on the ground as just help as much as we can.

[Jst2fst]

An F-15 had a mechanical malfunction and crashed last night at 2130. One crew member was captured by Libyan forces but both crew members are now in US hands. As far as I can tell their both alright.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110322/ap_on_re_eu/libya_us_jet

[Zach]

[Jst2fst]

Really....

[Casper]

Oh man, that's awesome. That's getting passed around work today.

[Jst2fst]

Hey, at least he's got the support of the UN in the matter. So far we've only dropped bombs. I'm sure that were not gonna have boots on the ground in this. Only time will tell....

[ReconRat]

An F-15 had a mechanical malfunction and crashed last night at 2130. One crew member was captured by Libyan forces but both crew members are now in US hands. As far as I can tell their both alright.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110322/ap_on_re_eu/libya_us_jet

nah, the two were separated during descent from high altitude, and both were picked up by Libyan rebel forces. One is recovered already. The other is known to be safe.