France: Military action to take place 'swiftly' against Libya

[Pisis]

(CNN) -- Military strikes against Libya will take place "swiftly" and France will definitely participate, government spokesman Francois Baroin said in an interview Friday with RTL radio.

The developments came a day after the U.N. Security Council voted to impose a no-fly zone and as eyewitness reports said the rebel stronghold of Misrata was under attack by government forces.

France: Military action to take place 'swiftly' against Libya - CNN.com

We'll see some airborne action, I guess...

 

[tomo pauk]

The fellow at Fleet Command forum made no-fly zone scenario for the simulation perhaps 15 days ago. Rafales vs. Su-22s etc.
Pretty ironic :/

 

[michaelmaltby]

Will Mo pull an Adolph and die in his bunker ...?

MM

 

[imalko]

France is too much "trigger happy" in my opinion. Imposing no fly zone would be sufficient but air strikes? Not so subtle choosing of one side over the other in a foreign civil war. As German and Russian ambassadors at UN pointed out this might cause more damage then it could bring good. In any way civilians are the ones who'll suffer the most same as it happened over here in 1999...

 

[pbfoot]

Canada sending over 6 CF18's should be up and ready Monday out of France

 

[Glider]

Typhoons and Tornado GR 4's are on the way from the UK and the GR 4 isn't there for fighter combat

 

[Pisis]

A Mig-23 was shot down by the Rebel Army over Benghazi. It was not confirmed whether it belonged to Qaddafi's forces or to the rebels but most likely it was a rebel-captured jet that was shot down by a mistake by friendl fire.

 

[Marcel]

A Mig-23 was shot down by the Rebel Army over Benghazi. It was not confirmed whether it belonged to Qaddafi's forces or to the rebels but most likely it was a rebel-captured jet that was shot down by a mistake by friendl fire.

A dutch reporter was there and filmed it. It was a rebel-aircraft.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Now that stinks.

 

[Crimea_River]

Ok so we now have air superiority. Now what?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Interested in seeing how this is going to play out.

I think it is the right thing to do. We waited too long with Bosnia and Kosovo, and I do not think we should make the same mistake here, but that is a whole other discussion that is not meant for this thread.

 

[Marcel]

Interested in seeing how this is going to play out.

I think it is the right thing to do. We waited too long with Bosnia and Kosovo, and I do not think we should make the same mistake here, but that is a whole other discussion that is not meant for this thread.

Agreed. I think France played it very clever. And I'm glad that some-one else then the US will take initiative for once.

 

[imalko]

I find it deeply ironic that first use of airplane as a weapon of war occurred in Libya in Italian-Turkish war exactly hundred years ago...

There's no politically correct way to speak my mind about this matter and usually avoid discussion with heavy political context. However, I'll say this much; in my opinion what we are witnessing here and in other places of conflict not so far from Libya is just another stage of the war for natural resources (read oil in the first place) disguised as a fight for human rights. If human rights were really the issue then surely something should be done about situation in Bahrain and other such places. Even in China! Not to mention that West have some old scores with Gaddafi to settle. Not defending the Colonel, but not all nations in the world are ready for the "benefits" of the democracy. The most tragic thing is that one way or the other a common man is always the one who suffer the most. Living under Milošević's rule for over a decade and being on the receiving end of "Merciful Angel" in 1999 I have some insight.

Chris, if you didn't want to steer the discussion in that direction then you shouldn't mention Bosnia and Kosovo. I have my opinion on it of course which might differ from yours. However, I made too many friends on this forum to risk banning so I'll restrain myself from making further comments. I will finish this post with one of my favorite quotes from our poet Ivan Gundulić:

"Those who are feared by many have a lot of reason to be frighten themselves."

 

[Erich]

personally I would let the French and Brits deal with that mongrel, they owe him a big one

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Chris, if you didn't want to steer the discussion in that direction then you shouldn't mention Bosnia and Kosovo. I have my opinion on it of course which might differ from yours. However, I made too many friends on this forum to risk banning so I'll restrain myself from making further comments.

Anyone who posts in a civil manner does not have to fear banning. We have no problem with exchange of opinions and ideas as long as they are civil. We all have our own opinions and thoughts on any subject.

Now having said that, I was not trying to "steer" a discussion in any direction as you wish to call it. I was only stating my opinion on the matter (in that I am glad we are not waiting as long as we did in the Balkan region) and my belief is that what I said is true. Now if you wish to discuss that particular topic, then please open a thread on the matter where it can be discussed.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I'm glad somebody is finally doing something. I thought the Col had really turned around from what he was. It seems it was just hiding.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Reports are stating that Libyan rebel flew his Mig into Gadhafis compound and one of his son's was killed.

 

[mikewint]

Please do not get me wrong here, I have no love for Quadd whatsoever but this is to me a strictly internal matter. Quadd did not just wake up on Monday and decide to start killing civilians. they rioted and rebelled and the big dog is biting back. I somewhat agree with Imalko here. Though I really don't think oil is the question as Lybia really doesn't control that much. Let's jump in and arm the rebels as we did in Afgan

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Please do not get me wrong here, I have no love for Quadd whatsoever but this is to me a strictly internal matter. Quadd did not just wake up on Monday and decide to start killing civilians. they rioted and rebelled and the big dog is biting back. I somewhat agree with Imalko here. Though I really don't think oil is the question as Lybia really doesn't control that much. Let's jump in and arm the rebels as we did in Afgan

I don't agree with that. Gadhafi is a tyrant and the people are tired of him. He needs to go. I do not believe we should send ground troops in, and I really hope it does not come to that. The people need to defeat him on their own terms. I do however believe they have no chance as long as he uses air power against them. I agree completely with a no fly zone over Libya. Now I do not believe we should go around bombing everything. I think that we should take out his air to air and ground to air capability, in order to enforce that no fly zone.

 

[mikewint]

Alder, I agree with everything you said about that moron, I just don't thing that outsiders have any right to meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign country no matter what we think about the way it is being run. No one even knows who the rebels are at his point. Anyone seen the big democratic changes in Egypt so far?
We jumped in on behalf of the Afgans, now look at where we are in that country