Here we go again, call out the posse, women and children first, keep your powder dry, duck sucker, some are suggesting ground troops in Libya. Western nations are past the point of discussion on the issue of "boots on the ground" even though Moammar Gadhafi's has issued threats and there is opposition from France. This time the European Union said it is "willing to deploy forces" to escort humanitarian aid, to which Libya rules called "tantamount to a military operation."
I guess if I were in the Libya ruler's shoes, I would have said, "boots on Libyan soil is an act of war and appropriate retaliatory action will be taken." Britian officials said Tuesday that it would "dispatch military officers to advise rebel forces.
Strangely the European Union does not have a standing military force, so member nations would have to "pony up" the soldiers. As far as funding for the humanitarian action is concerned, member countries supporting the action would.....have to financially give support.
Lets see, the initial, or "down stroke" cost to America was six hundred million dollars, and each proceeding day is another forty million. I don't know, after costs reach a billion dollars, like most other Americans, I get kinda numb and can't comprehend the figures that are listed, or in some cases, aren't listed.
On a cheery note, the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini has announced a meeting in May to discuss ways that would enable oil from Libyan oil wells, controlled by the rebel to be sold on the world markets. All future economic agreements will be "especially directed towards those who have supported us today in this delicate phase," Frattini said in his statement. The minister however did not say where the money from these sales would go.
Sounds strangely like what some said during the initial stages of the war on terror in Iraq, remember, the oil revenue would pay for the war, we'd be greeted with cakes and flowers and the war would be over in short order. Can the world never learn?
Couldn't agree more! Cakes? Flowers? They still have no power in Iraq. Sad state of affairs.
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