TELEGRAPH BLOGS – BENEDICT BROGAN: The Foreign Office has announced that it is sending 10 ‘mentors’ to beef up the embryonic British presence in eastern Libya. Mentors? That’s the word used by the centre to describe what are in fact military advisers being sent in to help the rebels. The Government says it’s all well within the terms of UN Resolution 1973, and they are not a “fighting force”. They are there to advise on helping civilians, not on military training. The Telegraph reported recently the view inside the MoD that the rebels, while lacking nothing in enthusiasm, coudn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Without outside help in arms and possibly international back-up they will not be able to accomplish what everyone wants – getting rid of Col Gaddafi. With the Libyan effort bogged down, Gaddafi still in place, and no sign of any momentum to force him out, it is no wonder that those allies still committed to this adventure are looking for ways to help the rebels get on with the job. Italy is talking of sending military help. David Cameron and his ministers have tied themselves in knots to avoid ruling out military help. And now we have it. The Prime Minister will have to face unavoidable charges that this is mission creep, and it will be tempting to recall how John F Kennedy started with military ‘advisers’ in Vietnam. Continue reading and comment » | Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My comment:
David Cameron is out of his depth. I will always remember the day that Cameron committed to war in Libya, and Hague chanting at his side, "statesman, statesman." I remember thinking to myself then: I wonder whether people will say silly things like that when it's all over (whenever that will be). It's very easy to enter into war; it's getting out of it that's the difficult thing. Fools rush in, and all that...
Cameron has been raised in a cocoon. He has no idea or understanding of the character and mentality of the man he has entered into war with. Gaddafi is a tough man; he's a Bedouin. And anyone who has ever had a little experience in dealing with Bedouins will know that they are tough, hard-nosed, and very inflexible. I feel sure that David Cameron's upbringing has ill-prepared him for his fight with one of this world's toughest adversaries.
Only all-out war will prepare the way for the Gaddafis' ouster; and even that would be a rough, tough, messy, very bloody conflict. What has Cameron got us into? – © Mark
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