FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Yes, WAR has begun. The U.S and it's allies are pounding Libyan anti-aircraft targets, clearing the way for French warplanes to "protect pro-democracy" rebels in key cities. The Libyan arsenal is mostly upgraded from the Soviet days, but with S-200, S22, and other like units, it would pose a threat to allied warplanes.

From the New York Times:

TRIPOLI, Libya — American and European forces began a broad campaign of strikes against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Saturday, unleashing warplanes and missiles in the first round of the largest international military intervention in the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq.

The mission to impose a United Nations-sanctioned no-flight zone and keep Mr. Qaddafi from using airpower against beleaguered rebel forces was portrayed by Pentagon and NATO officials as under French and British leadership. But the Pentagon said that American forces were conducting a campaign to knock out Libya’s air-defense systems, firing more than 100 Tomahawk missiles from nearby ships to knock out Libyan missile, radar and communications centers around Tripoli, the capital, and the western city of Misurata.

Apocalypse Gaddafi

The conversation likely going on in all capitals across Europe and Washington D.C.

Colonel Lucas: Your mission is to proceed up the Nung River in a Navy patrol boat. Pick up Colonel Kurtz's path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it and learn what you can along the way. When you find the Colonel, infiltrate his team by whatever means available and terminate the Colonel's command.

Willard: Terminate the Colonel?

General Corman: He's out there operating without any decent restraint, totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct. And he is still in the field commanding troops.

Civilian: Terminate with extreme prejudice.

Colonel Lucas: You understand, Captain, that this mission does not exist, nor will it ever exist...

I highly recommend clicking here and checking our this full page of quotes. A lot of gems in there.

The best thing that has been on CNN in a long, long time

I also liked this, too.


Update: To me, this says that someone--perhaps the Brits--are "talking to Hezbollah" about how to best knock Monster Gaddafi.

NO FLY ZONE - LIBYA

The UN has just authorized a NO FLY ZONE over Libya.

Gaddafi has also said to Benghazi residents that "we are coming tonight" and "there won't be any mercy".

So, we wait and see.

But I have a question: Will Britain and France (the two countries most in favor of intervention) act to enforce the the no fly zone? Does it have to be the US? What other counties have that kind of capability? Surely not Lebanon, the other country that drafted the resolution.

I know a bit on this subject... but I want to wait and see what happens before I jump to any conclusions here. More soon.

Goldberg paragraph of the day:

I think Jeffery Goldberg more or less summed up my feelings on Middle East reporting today when he wrote this:

So we're driving to the Cairo airport in Hillary Clinton's very impressive motorcade, and Keith Johnson of The Wall Street Journal, who is sitting next to me, is writing an article on his Blackberry, in the dark, in a speeding van, and his deadline is four minutes away, and he manages to pull it off, while I was doing the only thing I know how to do while driving through Cairo, which is trying not to throw up. I was very impressed with Johnson, particularly because I'm mainly a magazine writer who is given time and solitude to think about the information he has, and what information he's missing. Johnson, and the other daily (and hourly) reporters on the Clinton magical mystery tour through the Middle East are given no time at all to write intelligently, and yet they do. It is always a humbling experience to be around reporters who can perform at this level.

God bless him (and others) for their gracious editors and their ability to allow their journalists (slaves) to "think".

From Bethlehem yesterday

Journalist & fellow comrade, As-Salibi, posted some radical pictures of this whole March 15th gig coming out of the West Bank. This is the Palestinian version of Middle East uprising. The only question: How far will it go? Will things get toppled, or is this peaceful demonstration?

Stand by.

Q: "how the gulf uprising fits into the middle east mess?"

A reader writes in: How will the Gulf uprising fit into the whole Middle East mess?

My answer? Well... Jesus! Saudi Arabia may just have to invade you. Here, (I mean this,) is some good AJE footage of it.

But basically what I think is that Bahrain has turned into ripe ground for Iranian-Saudi meddling. And while that might be good for Lebanon--meaning, that it'd give them a break--it is a particularly bad thing for the Middle East vis-a-vis The American Objective. See, the U.S. has its fifth fleet based in Bahrain... and, perhaps unfortunately, will likely engage more heavily in the country's internal affairs to guarantee its standing in the region. That might, actually, have something to do with the Saudi de-facto invasion of the place.

Feel free to sound off in the comments section. See you there.

Quote of the day

Andew Exum, over at Abu Muqawama, hosts a great idea for dealing with Monster Gaddafi. He writes:

P.S. How about we just forget about a no-fly zone and ask Hizballah to take care of Gadhafi? I know it's unorthodox, but a) I am ever budget-conscious, b) I like to think outside the box, and c) based on our experiences in Iraq with Jaysh al-Mahdi, Hizballah has some experience with this kind of thing. So maybe we can ring Hassan Nasrallah and ask him if he is busy?*

*Before anyone loses it in the comments section, this is a joke.

May God bless him.

The Situation on the West Bank (and Gaza)

A commenter asks what I think of the current situation in the West Bank.

My answer? Well... we wait and see.

After the slaying of that Jewish family in the northern West Bank last week, the call for a vote from Abbas, emergency talks by Haniyeh, and massive demonstrations planned (and happening) in the West Bank and Gaza, all is on the table. Who knows where it'll go. But if there is one thing for sure, it's that the Ramallah government is about as far from their people as one could imagine. Thus, the opportunity to another toppled Arab government is high ... the only difference is the Israeli factor.

If the Palestinian Authority falls in the West Bank, will the Israelis just say "to hell with it" and reoccupy it? Too hard to see. Too many factors. I'll post again on the matter when I see something that chances.

In the meantime, the Japanese government is telling over 150,000 people to "stay inside" as radioactive juice is now pouring into the atmosphere. Have a nice day.