I should read Scorpion & Frog every day.
I threw the Italians a bone the other day - and they now they do this.
Italy called for a suspension of hostilities in Libya on Wednesday in the latest sign of dissent within NATO as the civilian death toll mounts and Moamer Kadhafi shows no signs of quitting power.After the Norwegians showed them the way, we shouldn't be shocked.
"We have seen the effects of the crisis and therefore also of NATO action not only in eastern and southwestern regions but also in Tripoli," Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told a parliamentary committee meeting.
"I believe an immediate humanitarian suspension of hostilities is required in order to create effective humanitarian corridors," while negotiations should also continue on a more formal ceasefire and peace talks, he said.
"I think this is the most urgent and dramatic point," Frattini continued.
"I think it is legitimate to request ever more detailed information on the results" of the NATO mission, he added, condemning "the dramatic errors that hit civilians, which is clearly not an objective of the NATO mission."
If you want more of my thoughts on NATO and Libya, go visit my post from earlier this week on USNIBlog.
The "mission" discussed....
ReplyDelete<pre> WILLARD
" They told me that you had gone totally insane and that your
methods were unsound."
KURTZ
" Are my methods unsound?"
WILLARD
" I don't see any method at all, sir."</pre>
any military operation comes with collateral damage, aka civilian casualties. But if the military operation is nothing more than dropping ordnance with no clear political or military objective in mind, then the smallest amount of collateral damage, no matter how proportionately insignificant, is damning. The lives are lost for no greater purpose, just the same as how the ordnance is expended.
ReplyDeleteOnce again - what are the vital national interests of the United States at risk in Lybia? Is it too much to ask to meet the requirements of the Cap Weinberger doctrine prior to the commitment of US troops?
ReplyDeleteJust curious...
It's another week so it's another collapsing coalition crisis in the fun merry-go-round of Italian politics!
ReplyDeleteThe Northern League which is doing most of the current propping up is very anti-Libya as they don't like the spending (should be spent in tax cuts and entitlements back home) and don't want immigrants coming over. Not sure how staying out of the fight will accomplish the latter, maybe they think being unsupportive of the rebels cause in their hour of need, will make them less attractive as a future destination whether in victory or defeat?
Nice summary here:
Italy's Northern League Reviews Support for Berlusconi (BBC)
Well, Machiavelli would turn in his grave...
ReplyDeleteBut given PM more interested in running sex parties in private villas than real world problems we can say Obama is a paragon of dedication and virtue by comparison... which is frightening thing in itself.
haha Luigi the Scorpion!
ReplyDeleteGiven that the "whatever you want to call it" in Lybia is mostly seen in Italy as a french way to buggering Italy all over again, you will probably also see why the "whatever you want to call it" in Lybia is not at all popular in Italy...
ReplyDelete