Things are slowly coming together in terms of figuring out some kind of command and control system for the fighting in Libya, but it’s an eclectic and unmanageable mess at the moment. NATO is supposed to take over now that Turkey has won concessions that it will restrict itself to enforcing the no-fly zone. But that doesn’t mean that France, Britain, and the United States won’t be imposing a no-drive zone that will be coordinated outside of NATO. The African Union is sponsoring talks tomorrow between loyalists and rebels in Ethiopia. So far, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey are all making positive contributions.
The way I see this is that no one wants to man-up and admit that they want Gaddafi gone or invest what it would take to make that happen. So, I see this thing dragging on and devolving into a civil war that embarrasses everyone. On the other hand, Juan Cole says I’m impatient and unappreciative of what’s already been accomplished. I hear what’s he’s saying, but that doesn’t mean I am wrong to be concerned about where this is going.
How are you feeling about it? Optimistic, pessimistic, something in between?
