(Irish Times)EUROPEAN FOREIGN ministers resolved to conduct an EU military operation in Libya if the UN requests a mission to support humanitarian relief and protect refugees.
| Yup, it's coming. That's why we have the Bataan waiting off shore. Remember how the amphibious assault group was ordered out of Norfolk a couple weeks ago? What a coincidence. Ditto the Brits who have a similar (but smaller) unit that just happens to be in place. |
Ireland might participate in such an operation, to be known as "EUfor Libya", as it would have a UN mandate.
| Each of the EU governments will contribute a small force, since that's all they have. They'll need the US to commit a Marine regiment (at the least) and all the logistics (at the least) to make this work. Put a good chunk of 'EUfor' into Misrata or similar coastal town and it stops Gaddafi from getting to Benghazi. The logistics tail goes to that city. |
The Government will have to discuss that and obviously there are procedures for participation in any mission," Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore told reporters. He did not elaborate.
With Nato members of the EU already involved in the aerial campaign to enforce the UN no-fly zone over Libya, the initiation of any new mission would deepen Europe's military involvement in the country.
However, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said an intervention would be nothing close to "the traditional form of putting troops on the ground". Military assets are used only in certain circumstances, she said.
| Oh no, nothing close at all. It's all for 'humanitarian' purposes. But it does allow the oil to continue to flow from rebel-held Benghazi and Tobruk to European markets. That's just an unfortunate side-effect of a supremely humanitarian mission. Want to bet that the EU collectively wins a Nobel Peace Prize for being such humanitarians? |
"It is absolutely right that in terms of looking at humanitarian support one uses assets very carefully, especially military assets, because it's very important that people involved in humanitarian aid are safe." Such a mission is contingent on a request from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), giving it a UN mandate.
And so the slide into the (quag)mire continues.
I am also rather disturbed by the blurring of the distinction between the UN and the UNSC. The UN itself is run by kleptocrats and microstates whose votes are for sale to the highest bidder. |