From the AP:
Libyan government tanks and rockets pounded rebel forces into a panicked full retreat Tuesday after an hourslong, back-and-forth battle that highlighted the superior might of Moammar Gadhafi’s forces, even hobbled by international airstrikes.
No such strikes were launched during the fighting in Bin Jawwad, where rebels attempting to march on Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte ended up turning around and fleeing east under overcast skies. Some fleeing rebels shouted, “Sarkozy, where are you?” — a reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, one of the strongest supporters of international airstrikes…
Putting yourself in an insane dictator’s shoes, what would you do? Well, once your primary opponent has announced that (a) no US troops would ever be engaged on the ground and (b) that he was turning over command to an alliance of weak and easily bribed powers, you attack. Your enemy has just announced to the world that he will not do what is necessary to ensure that you are defeated…and, so, you roll the dice and try to take back as much as you can. Sure it could fail…but if it fails, then you’re doomed, anyways…might as well try.
Now, we can still stop this – but we’ll have to resume at least some aerial bombardment and, most importantly, put US ground troops back on the table. Not necessarily deploying them, but making the announcement that we will not allow the rebels to be defeated and, if it proves necessary, we will deploy US ground forces to prevent such an event. That would, at least, preserve the rebels. Getting rid of Gaddafi will probably require more…like training a couple regiments of rebels and air/sea lifting them to right outside Tripoli and then using US air and naval power to help them conquer the city.
What will we actually do? I don’t know, but I lack all confidence in Obama’s ability to figure it out.
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