WASHINGTON - As America's NATO allies shoulder a greater share of the air war in Libya, the Arab countries that urged the U.N. Security Council to impose a no-fly zone are missing from the action. Except for the small Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, which is expected to start flying air patrols over Libya by this weekend, no other members of the 22-member Arab League have so far publicly committed to taking an active role. The U.S. has sold many of these countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, billions of dollars in sophisticated military gear over the past decade to help counter Iran's power in the region.
Civil wars are always ugly. Libya's is no exception, though its level of violence so far has been moderate, thanks to the military ineptitude of both Gaddafi's forces and the Benghazi-based rebels who are little more than an armed mob. I've seen Libya's Army at war before. In the later 1980's, Libya and Chad, backed by its neocolonial master France, fought a little war over the disputed Aouzou Strip, which was believed to have rich uranium deposits. In what was called the "Toyota War," (both sides used the splendid Toyota Land Cruiser), Libya's Army proved laughably incompetent. French Foreign Legionnaires disguised as Chadian tribesmen...
Here's a look at some of the international military assets in or heading to the region to help enforce the U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya: United States: _ After barrage of attacks by sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles Saturday, an array of U.S. warplanes — including several Air force B-2 stealth bombers — followed in the pre-dawn hours Sunday with a coordinated assault using precision-guided bombs _Navy EA-18G Growlers launched from unspecified land bases to provide electronic warfare support over Libya. _Marine AV-8B Harriers from the USS Kearsarge sailing in the Mediterranean conducted strikes against Gadhafi's...
