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It's not about "legitimacy" so much as it is about, to use the ugly word, propaganda. Legolas Send a noteboard - 21/03/2011 10:33:12 PM
Libya is a distinct entity from every other country in the world. Libyans have asked us to get involved. Just because an accident of history has Libyans speaking the same language as people in the Levant and the Gulf, it doesn't give people in those areas some sort of magical legitimacy that we lack.

I agreed with you above that waiting longer would've been foolish, but I do think Qatar's involvement is important - and what is still more important is the vote Lebanon cast on the UN Security Council, considering the influence the Hezbollah has in Lebanon at the moment. In the "war for hearts and minds", the image problem of both Europe and the US - though in different ways - in the Arab world and to a lesser extent the rest of the Muslim world, it's very important that this is not seen as a "crusade" by anyone other than Qaddhafi. That is completely immaterial to Libya itself, nor does it somehow offer moral justification or legitimacy, but it certainly should be a consideration for policy makers in the US and Europe.
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So within 24 hours of the 1st UN mandated action in Libya... - 20/03/2011 04:38:25 PM 1432 Views
Quite. - 20/03/2011 04:41:39 PM 622 Views
The Arab league guy has gone out saying he was misquoted. - 20/03/2011 05:26:21 PM 675 Views
... completely surprising absolutely no one. *NM* - 20/03/2011 05:28:20 PM 244 Views
China and Russian abstained instead of voting No, which is odd. - 20/03/2011 05:32:02 PM 607 Views
I think we should just ignore anything Russia and China says about human rights.. - 20/03/2011 10:15:59 PM 575 Views
Re: I think we should just ignore anything Russia and China says about human rights.. - 20/03/2011 11:12:11 PM 671 Views
exactly - 21/03/2011 12:13:28 AM 568 Views
Re: So within 24 hours of the 1st UN mandated action in Libya... - 20/03/2011 05:31:48 PM 763 Views
Apparently Qatar is about to join the fray... it is rather crucial that the Arab world backs this. - 20/03/2011 05:50:14 PM 670 Views
And - 20/03/2011 05:52:59 PM 644 Views
There is a lot of politics going on in the Arab League, from what I've read - 20/03/2011 05:52:31 PM 886 Views
That is a big miscalculation. - 20/03/2011 06:10:34 PM 735 Views
Not really - 20/03/2011 06:23:52 PM 771 Views
Agreed. Waiting wasn't an option. *NM* - 20/03/2011 06:46:39 PM 233 Views
I dunno. - 20/03/2011 06:59:18 PM 750 Views
But the people who are going to think that way are going to do it no matter what - 20/03/2011 10:13:36 PM 627 Views
The impression I got - 21/03/2011 04:14:57 PM 719 Views
to much diplomacy and not enough action - 21/03/2011 04:56:45 PM 646 Views
It is us vs. them. - 20/03/2011 10:30:50 PM 809 Views
Seriously. I can't believe Snoop and Rebekah's comments. It's like we had weeks to act. - 20/03/2011 10:27:40 PM 735 Views
We have had weeks to act - 20/03/2011 11:15:15 PM 738 Views
Because when you get involved in what is, unfortunately, an internal matter, - 20/03/2011 11:18:16 PM 638 Views
Qatar is not part of Libya so it would still be outsiders interfering in an internal matter - 21/03/2011 12:25:30 AM 642 Views
I have to ask: - 21/03/2011 03:13:31 AM 810 Views
I don't think the people in Libya give at rat's ass about what the king of Qatar wants - 21/03/2011 05:12:26 AM 772 Views
Imo, it's not about "gratitude." - 21/03/2011 04:05:41 PM 679 Views
I actaully like NPR and listen to them on a regular basis - 21/03/2011 04:44:42 PM 691 Views
Well, that has all shit to do with Qatari participation. - 21/03/2011 03:02:19 AM 627 Views
Not so. - 21/03/2011 08:54:31 AM 733 Views
Bullshit. - 21/03/2011 01:37:32 PM 870 Views
Well. - 21/03/2011 06:58:19 PM 656 Views
That's odd. I'm not seeing any of this criticism. - 21/03/2011 10:55:27 PM 647 Views
There's been plenty on Twitter. - 22/03/2011 08:29:48 AM 814 Views
So let me get this straight: - 22/03/2011 06:48:53 PM 724 Views
It's not about "legitimacy" so much as it is about, to use the ugly word, propaganda. - 21/03/2011 10:33:12 PM 588 Views
Is the Qatar involvement as important as the Kuwaiti involvement in the Iraq War? - 22/03/2011 06:57:27 PM 1061 Views
Kuwait was involved in the Iraq War? *NM* - 22/03/2011 08:35:21 PM 231 Views
They were part of the famous Coalition of the Willing *NM* - 22/03/2011 08:47:55 PM 239 Views
We got our authorization. - 20/03/2011 10:25:10 PM 797 Views
I don't see a situation where this does not turn into a land war. - 20/03/2011 10:51:41 PM 704 Views
it is already is a land war if you ask the people on the ground doing the fighting for weeks - 21/03/2011 12:34:10 AM 697 Views
Yeah, that's what I meant. - 21/03/2011 12:48:57 AM 624 Views
I doubt it would take US ground troops. - 21/03/2011 03:16:24 AM 602 Views
Fuck that - 21/03/2011 12:47:54 AM 660 Views
you are always have been a fence sitter - 21/03/2011 01:09:59 AM 626 Views
Fuck Gadhafi. - 21/03/2011 05:21:29 AM 566 Views
how full of yourself are you? - 21/03/2011 12:37:47 PM 713 Views
They're not my people. - 21/03/2011 02:22:46 PM 695 Views
Wha? - 21/03/2011 03:55:51 PM 735 Views
Nope. - 21/03/2011 04:21:21 PM 726 Views
Ok. - 21/03/2011 04:30:44 PM 658 Views
Do something, get whined at. Do nothing and you get Rwanda. - 21/03/2011 11:19:38 AM 815 Views
I completely agree. *NM* - 21/03/2011 11:04:34 PM 179 Views
I would reply... - 21/03/2011 11:22:14 PM 551 Views
It is only natural that the girl preferred me to you, but....... - 21/03/2011 11:36:33 PM 696 Views
- 21/03/2011 11:38:49 PM 505 Views
Don't me!! - 21/03/2011 11:50:07 PM 636 Views

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