How long before we bomb both sides?
Wednesday 30th March 2011, 7:19AM BST.
So what happens, writes Peter Rhodes, when the Libyan rebels, assisted by President Sarkozy’s pre-election aerial blitz, arrive at the gates of Tripoli?
If past form is any guide, they will sound their car horns and fire a lot of bullets into the air. But the evidence so far is that the moment any bullets come their way, the rebels run away.
And who can blame them? This is a huge battlefield. If you live in Benghazi, liberating Tripoli is the equivalent of a British rebel army trekking all the way from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Why bother when you can safely draw a line in the sand at Hadrian’s Wall and let the Anglo-French air armada keep the enemy on the other side for years to come?
Besides, no rebel army could take Tripoli without harming civilians. The UN has authorised the use of air power solely to protect civilians.
You see the dilemma?
This could become the first war in history in which the RAF deliberately bombs both sides.
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We have a precedent about bombing both sides Peter. Don’t forget, during the early stages of the second world war we bombed the French fleet.
I agree with your general comments though. Whether it’s Iraq or Libya, they are all tribal areas and whoever is in power never pleases the lot who arn’t in power. I don’t know why we bother at all. They have no concept of democracy and whoever comes out on top will:
a slaughter the ones who opposed them
b line their pockets for themselves and family
c salt away millions in overseas bank accounts
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I said at the start of the Libyan protests that we should nuke this hell hole off the face of the earth.
Mark my words Libya is the begining of WW3. We could have nipped it in the bud with a few nukes, but no, we pick sides instead.
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do we ever learn any lessons from recent history,we are now talking about arming the libyan rebels just like we armed the afghan rebels who went on to become the nucleus of al qaeda who are now posing the biggest terroist threat the world has ever faced.today libyan rebels tomorrow al qaeda terroists armed to the teeth with upto date weapons killing our armed forces with weapons supplied by our short sighted goverment.
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