For the U.S., it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. If we don't support Libya, we lose popular support in the region (public opinion in Tunisia & Egypt seems to favor the NFZ and the Arab Legue voted unanimously to support an NFZ [w/ two contries abstaining]). If we do though, we look like warmongering hypocrits to the rest of the world. I'm sure that Bin Laden is going to have a field day with this.
I get the impression that the French were pushing really hard for this no fly zone. It's good to see that they are actually doing some of the heavy lifting this time around.
If the NATO air assets target Libyan armor and artillery (and there is some indication that they have already begun to do so), it could start to swing the fighting back in favor of the rebels.
Also, I heard today on NPR that the Libyan fighter shot down yesterday (a rather dramatic pic of it going down in flames was all over the web) was a rebel plane attempting to defend Bengazi that was mistakenly shot down by the rebels.
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