A German diplomat says the illusion that business will get back to normal if he manages to hang on must be destroyed. Somehow, I don't think Mr. Gadaffi is suffering from that illusion. I suspect he figures if he manages to hang on there will be a blood bath the likes of which we've seldom seen.
On the other hand, for all the pontificating, talk about arming the rebels to do the job did not come up in recent talks. So how are they going to do it? Well, maybe if the air strikes fail to protect the civilians, it will be considered, says another. The rebels are the civilians. Some of Gadaffi's supporters are civilians. Oops. Sounds like a bona fide civil war to me! No one wants to get involved in that.
When all else fails, there are always sanctions. Oops again. Assets are already being frozen. Yet, just like guns to the drug cartels in Mexico, the bad guys always seem to find a way. The fighting continues.
It was of interest to hear nothing about the depth of U.S. involvement, ultimate leadership or the end game in Obama's address last night. So where does that leave things? It leaves everyone talking about what no one wants to do. The international community will talk it to death. The mid-east will crumble around them because the next country is waiting in the wings.
It will, however, do exactly what Obama has said he's wanted. The international community to act in concert. No plan. No decisions. No leadership. But in concert.
If the mid-eastern people want their freedoms, they'll have to figure out how to do it with out international intervention. They can be dead sure about that. Dead sure.
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