Allied War Machine Purposeless in Libya

So, what was it that Europe and the U.S. sought to gain when they plunged head-first into Libya’s civil war?  Beats us. We can understand what motivated the French, since they were the first to act on the possibly mistaken belief that their former good friend Col. Qaddafy was headed toward certain defeat. Considering the way things are going, they may have to remove the word “Alive” from the “Wanted Dead or Alive” poster they’ve effectively pinned on Kadafy’s caftan. As for America’s involvement, no one seems to know why we got involved in the first place, much less what will be required of us after the bombing stops. Perhaps the French will be so kind as to instruct us when the time comes.  In the meantime, the “international coalition,” which also includes Great Britain, seems to be having a rollicking good time strafing loyalists forces and “protecting” the rebels. But it’s more than a little unsettling to see the ostensible allies squabbling over what is to come next, and who will lead. 

If it is nation-rebuilding our politicians have in mind, then Kadhaffi may indeed have to be exiled, if not rubbed out, since he doesn’t seem like the kind of dictator who will be content to chill at the oasis. More likely, as we mentioned here earlier, is that he will do everything in his still-lethal power to avoid handing over Libya’s oil capacity to the U.S., France, Britain et al.   Meanwhile, events thus far have attracted the bemused attention of Germany, Russia, China and a few other ostensibly neutral spectators who, one gathers, would always be perfectly content to do business with Kadhafy. Although this coalition of the unwilling obviously relishes telling the world how appalled they are by the allies’ strategically senseless assault against Kadafie, the entertainment value is bound to fade quickly when it comes time to decide who will extract and process Libyan’s ultra low-cost crude after the fighting stops.

As for Mr. Obama…

As for President Obama’s role in this international brawl, whether inadvertently or not, he may have furthered his goal of shaking America’s reputation as a war-mongering bunch of imperialists. For when the dust has settled in Libya, our enemies are more likely to view us as the bumbling incompetents we have become under Mr. Obama than a willful juggernaut out to subjugate the world.  Incidentally, if you’re interested in finding out what’s really going on in Libya (and in Egypt), as well as the stakes involved, Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick has written a pellucid essay on the subject – America’s Descent into Strategic Dementia — that you can access by clicking here.

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  • tim March 25, 2011, 8:11 am

    I know it’s hard but you have to look at the world through Obamas eyes. Facts: He is,
    anti-American
    anti-capitalist
    anti- christian
    anti-Caucasian,
    pro – New World Order
    pro – communist
    pro – muslim
    pro – every race except, Caucasian

    There is a Plan, a grand scheme, that Obama is enacting. He may have had a small, microscopic part in developing the Plan, but I doubt it. He is the mouthpiece, the deceiver, the facilitator. It doesn’t take
    a lot of intelligence to perform those duties, especially when the media is holding his hand.

    Forget about Gadurkishtaffy, Britain and France, they are all pawns.
    The Muslim Brotherhood and cohorts are being rescued by O. Taking back the Middle East and controlling the oil, with the help of O, destroying Israel,
    diminishing and bankrupting America, bringing power back to the Muslim Nation (formerly known as the Mid-East).
    When The New World Order is established seated at the table of the NWO5 will be:
    The Muslim Nation (formerly M.E. and Africa)
    China ( includes what was India and Australia)
    Russia ( includes what was formerly Europe)
    Bramerica (formerly South America)
    Camerica ( formerly Canada and America)
    O will be the initial Grand Chairman.

    “Let me be clear” it is not going to happen, but they are going to create a lot of havoc trying.
    Spiritual forces are at work here, we are all spiritual beings in a physical body, good always wins over evil, only our bodies may pay the price.
    Wake up and listen to your spirit,
    Joe “you lie” Wilson did, and that should have been our wake up call.

    Everything with Obama is a deception, a lie, circumvented, misspoken, evaded.
    No former friends or classmates.
    No grades, no papers, no articles, no lesson plans.
    No birth certificate.
    He is just a prop on the stage, with reverb, and the Plan.
    To us who live in the real world, he is a rookie, inexperienced, incompetent, indecisive etc…, but
    to those who support the Plan he is a master craftsman.
    Open your minds folks, he is not stumbling, he is running full speed ahead, your choosing not to see it or believe it.

    This message will self destruct in 10 seconds.

  • Terry S March 25, 2011, 5:15 am

    Good Stuff, Rick – Very heuristic…

    • bozzy March 25, 2011, 4:29 pm

      Too cryptic for my dull wit Tim – what do you mean?

    • bozzy March 25, 2011, 4:30 pm

      That should be Terry of course – that’ll teach me to try to do two things at the same time

  • ricecake March 25, 2011, 5:06 am

    “Allied War Machine Purposeless in Libya”

    Never purposeless.

    The whole thing has been designed. And the purpose is accomplished. They got the Chinese out of there. More than 30,000 Chinese Workers were out. The Chinese major state owned Infrastructure companies now face huge economic loses. It looks like the Chinese won’t be able to go back to Libya for a long long time. Now none gets Libya’s oil. As long as none gets it, the reserve is still under the ground for the next winner to grab.

    Libya is just the beginning of many fights for the world’s remaining precious energy and natural resource between the Western developed world and the emerging powers such China and India. Western world is threatened by China’s worldwide expansion (and later comes India too.” It’s bad for Europe.

    The naked globalizing resources grabbing for the national interests and ambitions of the emerging powerful countries is the modern version of Colonization of the old imperialism. The old money old powers will never tolerate that. They will do their best to mess up the advance of the emerging power. The rules are written by the Western developed world. The emerging powers can only follow and play along with them for the time being.

    Worldwide central banks of each country printing money fueling economic expansion. People around the world are all gone mad in building and expanding. They build and build and build. But as all commodities getting ever more expensive, the building maniac may well be slow down at certain point of time.

    The Greed is Good “smart” unregulated people already grabbed most of the future profits before the fruit tress grow out of it’s childhood. Those who designed the game, who are the insiders, who are able to anticipated the moves win. The rest of the majority are the losers.

  • Jacques Redou March 25, 2011, 2:47 am

    “until we are broke and universally hated?”

    UNTIL? I think that happened yesterday.

  • JohnJay March 25, 2011, 12:19 am

    When the only tool you have is a hammer, everythng looks like a nail.
    Since we have no talent at diplomacy, and no capacity for strategic thought, we always reach for the hammer.
    We will keep swinging the hammer around the globe until we are broke and universally hated.
    Won’t be long now.

  • bozzy March 24, 2011, 10:33 pm

    John, great post! – real feeling in there.

    Just that please can you translate it for me as I had trouble understanding what it has to do with the subject under discussion… clue: Libya

  • DanX March 24, 2011, 9:17 pm

    When “world leaders” begin to openly call for the assassination of rulers of other sovereign nations, I start thinking that Pandora’s Box is just about to be cracked open. How long do you think it will be before some “cleric” issues a fatwa against the heads of states who are complicit in the ordering of any assassination attempts against leaders of Muslim nations. Once that box is opened does every head of state become a target? Talk about insanity. That will eventually start WWIII…

  • bozzy March 24, 2011, 9:10 pm

    What a bunch of fairies you lot are! Always complaining.

    Everyone KNOWS you have to get target practice to stay sharp, and the French haven’t had any for ages, and that which they did have a few decades ago they do not want to discuss (Algeria).

    I’m just surprised they missed the opportunity for a photocall for the Legion…

    Meanwhile King Creole Obamalama come across like the cold wet kiss of a rubber stamp, and about as automatic.

  • BALDEAGLE 11 March 24, 2011, 8:08 pm

    The French well know who the USA financed ‘monarchial pretenders to the Libyan kingdom are’ and ‘who supplied them with arms and Flags’, but they did’nt tell their captive UK partner who’s lack of bases, arms,materials and manpower means that Etonian Cameron is being lead by the nose as a distraction fro the already brewing rebellion among his unarmed masses! A nation which manages its affairs by individual town councils and does not even have a full defence force and calls itself socialist, is of course a red-rag to the other Mrs S E Cameron and her patron Mrs H Clinton. As for the UNO it has already failed to establish its mandated on the ground independent observer group, yet, a group to report on the attacks on civilians?

  • Danny Cunnington March 24, 2011, 8:08 pm

    There’s no “purposeless”. The object is armed robbery by a bunch of insolvent nations. Libya has huge surplus reserves of currency, 143 tonnes of GLD gold bullion stored in vaults in Libya and the lowest external debt to GDP in the whole world. The appearance of “purposeless” Is the uncertainty over how to lie about what’s really going on.

    They want to steal everything, create a privately owned central bank and then load it with hundreds of billions of external debt secured on the oil and gas reserves. They just need a regime change and a puppet.

    The libyan civilians which is what we are told this is all about will either be enslaved or eradicated or a combination of both. This “tyrant” has handed out a million machine guns to the population. This is not the act of a leader facing popular revolt.

    • Rick Ackerman March 24, 2011, 10:28 pm

      Interesting theory, especially concerning the extent of Libya’s lucre — who knew? — but it seems implausible that the robbers could even contemplate dividing the spoils without going to war themselves.

  • Robert March 24, 2011, 7:36 pm

    Politicians:

    “Well, bombing them makes it look like we are actually in charge of SOMETHING”

    Generals:

    “Well, bombing them lets us exercise our readiness plans and it’s great for moral- after all, these young folks in uniform all signed up on the assumption that they might actually get to KILL somebody”

    Media:

    “We are constrained from reporting accurate domestic news, so we have to support a foreign military intervention so that we have something to flash across the screens everyday”

    Ben Bernanke:

    “More liquidity? you need more liquidity? you got it….”

    Emperor:

    “Where’s my fiddle, dammit?”

  • Rich March 24, 2011, 7:31 pm

    Aloha All
    Trusting Rick back on top.
    Just issued Tweet AUD/JPY may have peaked with EQ Futures selling at premiums to both cash and fair value.
    Maybe about to see lots of red across the board;
    waiting until 16:30 Zulu to confirm/pull trigger…

    • Rich March 24, 2011, 7:32 pm

      Cqn: That’s 18:30 Zulu..

  • Rich March 24, 2011, 6:14 pm

    Not only is Libyan oil cheap, it is some of the purest around.
    Q sitting on $6.5 B gold, more than Saudi Arabia.
    Five days of bombing and Q tanks did not leave.
    French now claiming weeks or months to neuter Q in what was supposed to be an operation with surgical precision.
    Monopoly media claiming 60% of world supports bombing Libya.
    Yes, the world armed Q with state of the art weapons, including Russian missiles with electronic countermeasures via Venezuela, that already downed an American fighter jet claimed to have crashed due to mechanical failure.
    Meawnhile, NATO member Turkey said to be rattling the French with opposition to what is going down, so NATO still wrangling.
    Christmas? We may be there for next ten Passovers too, at least until the American Empire can no more finance itself by naked aggression resource grabs disguised by diplomats as opposing the tyrants (they armed and installed).
    All part of what AJ calls depopulation strategy.
    When the oil companies want higher prices, they get them to a degree.
    XOM baby.
    Re politicians with open mouths lying, perhaps that is why some of them speak with clenched jaws…

    • Rich March 24, 2011, 6:15 pm

      BTW, we are also using radioactive DU in Libya…

  • Jacques Redou March 24, 2011, 5:04 pm

    Rick says to read this article:

    “Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick has written a pellucid essay on the subject – America’s Descent into Strategic Dementia”

    I highly recommend this article.

    It is one of the finest pieces of disinformation I have ever read. Caroline Glick should receive an award.
    She has woven Truth and Lies into a seamless masterpiece. Bravo.

    • Larry D March 24, 2011, 5:41 pm

      Please…please, tell me wherein lies the disinformation:

      Ms. Glick writes:

      “To an even greater degree than in Egypt, the debate was settled by the third US foreign policy camp – the opportunists. Led today by Clinton, the opportunist camp supports whoever they believe is going to make them most popular with the media and Europe.

      In the case of Libya, the opportunist interests dictated military intervention against Gaddafi. Europe opposes Gaddafi because the French and the British bet early on that his opponents were winning. France recognized the opposition as the legitimate government two weeks ago.

      Once Gaddafi’s counteroffensive began, France and Britain realized they would be harmed politically and economically if Gaddafi maintained power so they began calling for military strikes to overthrow him.

      Seeing the direction of the wind, Clinton jumped on the European-media bandwagon and forced Obama to agree to a military operation whose goal no one can define.”

    • Rick March 24, 2011, 10:51 pm

      For my money, Glick is one of the best columnists in the newspaper world. When you accuse her of lying, you need to furnish evidence. Not that anyone actually thinks you can.

  • Remi March 24, 2011, 3:11 pm

    Rick, I think it’s better if you stick to commenting on financial affairs

    • DiverCity March 24, 2011, 4:33 pm

      I disagree most heartily. This foolhardy “mission” has direct and indirect impact on said affairs and is thus most worthy of discussion.

    • Rick March 24, 2011, 10:47 pm

      Any other advice, such as that I shouldn’t salt my food before tasting it?

  • reverb March 24, 2011, 1:53 pm

    I notice the good Col’s name mentioned five times in the above article, and spelt differently each time………??

    • Robert March 24, 2011, 2:18 pm

      I’ve noticed the different spelling (Qaddafy, Kadafy, Kadhaffi , Kadhafy, Kadafie) too. What is the purpose for that?

      PS: Thanks for your service Rick.

    • Larry D March 24, 2011, 4:26 pm

      ‘Cuz Arab script doesn’t convert directly to the Roman alphabet.

    • DiverCity March 24, 2011, 4:32 pm

      There are, literally, about 96 spelling variations of his name used by the media. It’s funny and sad at the same time. Reminds me of Koran being displaced by Qu’ran. I noticed Rick’s variations and appreciated the humor as well!

    • Robert March 24, 2011, 5:06 pm

      Ok. I see. Thanks for your answers.

    • A. Rand Fan March 24, 2011, 6:49 pm

      I would offer up another spelling varition, Daffy.

    • Rick March 24, 2011, 10:40 pm

      Diver and a couple of others seem to have gotten the joke, although it wasn’t much of one. Having once worked as a copy editor for a newspaper that used the New York Times style manual, I enjoy being able to spell Khadoffy any darned way I please.

  • Martin Snell March 24, 2011, 1:29 pm

    Funny to watch – McCain, Graham, and Bolton all vocally calling for an immediate no-fly zone. As soon as it is announced they all turnaround an say, NO, we didn’t want that. No wonder the world laughs at dysfunctional American politics. They can’t stop lying, even when the military is in action.

    The best coverage so far has been on the Daily Show, and of course Al Jazeera.

    • Carol March 24, 2011, 2:37 pm

      How do you know when a ______ (polititian or lawyer same difference) is lying?

      When his mouth is open!

  • redwilldanaher March 24, 2011, 12:36 pm

    Times and a word: “Empire”

    • fallingman March 24, 2011, 4:05 pm

      Ah yes, Empire.

  • Steve March 24, 2011, 7:39 am

    Wow, can someone provide the authority, (ie; constitutional cite), to violate the Law of Nations, and the conventions on War? How far back must we go? War Powers Act of 1917 (still in effect, redone every other September?), Congressional Declaration of War 1941, or; could it be the Rebellion of the Senate in 1867 to compel corporatism via territorial powers at Article I, sec. 8, cls. 17, Article IV, sec. 3, cls. 2 ? Is the U.N. a body in agreement to ignor the Law of Nations? Is the Commander in Chief ‘immune’ as Bush atttested?

  • Terry S March 24, 2011, 7:18 am

    1) The Dow rally was no about the news; only that it was below 12,000.
    2) The US lead ‘no fly’ zone => it’s purpose is to establish and maintain a presence in Libya.
    We’ll be there for Christmas.

  • Benjamin March 24, 2011, 6:10 am

    It doesn’t surprise me at all that France is involved in a big way. They need the oil to supplement the folly of their over-investment in nuclear power…

    http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2008/05/13/the-limits-to-nuclear-mccain-shouldn-t-try-to-follow-french-disaster.aspx

    “Not only does France export vast quantities of its low-value power (it is the EU’s biggest exporter by far), France meanwhile must import high-value peak power from its neighbours. This arrangement is so financially ruinous that France in 2006 decided to resurrect its obsolete oil-fired power stations, one of which dates back to 1968.”

    Which also explains UK involvement; they buy quite a bit of cheaper nuclear juice from France. To keep that cost low, England has to help France get some more oil.

    So it’s okay to make war… I mean combat mission! Not war! And while a combat mission is an act of combat mission, it is not an act of combat mission because it’s just a combat mission. Got that? Great…!

    A combat mission for oil is okay when Europeans need lower oil prices. But not when the U.S. does. It’s just what I expect from leadership across the pond. Hypocrisy. Not only that, but who are these rebels that France is so quick to support, anyway? France apparently doesn’t know because when these radical Muslim rebels attain power, oil prices are certainly going to RISE, not fall.

    Ah, so France DOES know who they are! So in the end, France is really supporting it’s own failed nuclear industry; if they can price out the competitors in the EU energy markets, then they will have a monopoly. They will have nothing to export to France and will have to rely on France’s nuclear energy exports.

    So I’m not falling for all this “clueless Western leadership” stuff. They know what they’re doing. They know what seemingly directionless handling will acheive. So does Obama and his behavior modification army, concerning energy. They’ve all clearly stated that they want higher energy prices in the U.S. With radicals in charge of the Mid-East oil supply, that is what they’ll get.

  • fallingman March 24, 2011, 2:09 am

    Quote of the Day: ‎”The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” – Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, 2007

    Hmmm…I wonder what changed in the last 4 years. I don’t think it’s the Constitution.

    By the way, does this mean he’s actually READ the Constitution? Pssst, dude,..it doesn’t allow you to do all that much…unless you torture the hell out of it…or simply ignore it.

    Ah, ignore it…that’s the ticket.

    And, back at the ranch, the suppliers of cruise missiles party like Vikings.

  • FranSix March 24, 2011, 1:19 am

    ” Italy accuses France of wanting to lead so it can secure oil contracts with a new Libya while Italy gets stuck with the wave of postwar refugees.”

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/the-coalition-of-the-conflicted-goes-to-war-in-libya/article1952331/

    • Benjamin March 24, 2011, 6:28 am

      Oil contracts. Well, I’ll take that as a BINGO!, given what I see as the motive behind this war ( I mean, combat mission. I gotta remember that!)

      Anyway, just supposing a vast market like the EU has to increasingly rely on France’s nuclear over-capacity, while France is able to burn oil at a relatively cheaper price than the rest.

      One might also infer that England, helping out as they are, would get a deal on nuclear juice, and maybe on oil as well.

  • FranSix March 24, 2011, 12:58 am

    Softening up Libya is a presage to sending in troops. A war of attrition where military action is involved is basically a “housecleaning.” No different than Iraq. Seems the target is the military hardware, not so much the infrastructure.

    What the western powers really want is nobody to find out how much they’ve been propping up a confirmed international terrorist, especially the French.

    http://frogsmoke.com/2007/08/05/gadaffis-smart-photo-op/