Like the business plan of the South Park underpants gnomes, the game plan for invading Libya has no discernible Phase 2.
I mean, what could go wrong with destroying major parts of the infrastructure of a country you claim to want to save while killing civilians at the same time? Hey, that’ll win their hearts and minds. The Arab League is already saying the bombing seems just a teensy bit excessive to them. And why, I ask you, are we not bombing the thuggish governments of Yemen or Bahrain, both of whom are killing their populace? Could it have something to do with Yemen allowing us to kill al Qaeda there or that the 5th Navy is stationed in Bahrain?
The most egregious blunder though is the persistent delusion of the US military that they can win wars from the sky alone. This didn’t work in Vietnam or Iraq and it’s not working in Libya. Sooner or later, troops will need to be on the ground. Considering that many in the east of Iraq are loyal to the government, it’s hardly a given that victory by the rebels will be quick either.
Looks like bad moon rising to me. A cease fire would make things even murkier as in, what happens then?