What should the U.S.’s role be?

[Ansley]

Don't we have really super secret people that could go in and "take care" of things? No muss, no fuss.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

Apparently the impact from Libya is greater than the 2% share of oil they have. The oil they pump is a lighter crude that refiniries in Europe and Asia are particularly designed for. US refiniries can handle heavier crude.

It is the uncertainty in the whole region not just Libya. Markets hate uncertainty.

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by Ansley

Don't we have really super secret people that could go in and "take care" of things? No muss, no fuss.

The Brits were already there, but they were busy.

Date: February 27, 2011

Oil workers rescued by SAS in Libya return home

LONDON (AP)—British media were full of praise Sunday for a secret commando raid by British Special Forces that plucked 150 oil workers from the remote Libyan desert, but thousands of other foreigners were still stuck in Tripoli by bad weather and red tape.

The British government had been embarrassed by earlier botched attempts to rescue citizens stranded in Libya's uprising — its first rescue flight broke down and became stuck on a London runway on Wednesday. But on Sunday, newspapers could not gush enough about the "daring and dramatic" military operation by two RAF Hercules planes that brought stranded citizens to Malta.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...ml?s_cid=rss-5

[Ansley]

Thanks for the link. How secret could it have been if it was written up in the newspaper?

[Camille]

SAS missions are often reported after the fact...it's the people that are never identified.

C

[Ansley]

I understand that Camille. I guess my point is why don't we send contractors in.

[discreetgent]

Originally Posted by Ansley

I understand that Camille. I guess my point is why don't we send contractors in.

With what odds of success vs getting caught?

[Ansley]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

With what odds of success vs getting caught?

I don't know, that is why I'm asking.

[Camille]

I don't really know that a contractor vs a non-contractor would make a difference. It would all be authorized by the US (assuming we are talking about US Citizens/involvement) and carry the same risk. Oh wait, are you talking about deniable operations?

[pjorourke]

I think Ansley is referring to knocking Kdaffy Duck off.

[discreetgent]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

I think Ansley is referring to knocking Kdaffy Duck off.

I got that. Same question about risk vs success

[Camille]

Well yeah PJ, I got that lol

[TexTushHog]

Interesting question and not as simple as the group seems to make it, at least in my mind. I'm certainly not one to urge quick intervention in the affairs of other countries, but this is a case where our interests may actually be best served to intervene if it is done correctly.

It seems indisputable that our reputation is at an all time low in the Arab world and that this is a serious handicap for our country. Likewise, we have both economic and humanitarian reasons to want Qaddafi out of power. We need stability in the region because of our addiction to cheap oil, and we arguably have a moral duty not to allow bloodshed if his slaughter of his own people gets much more serious in scope.

We could advance both our economic and moral causes with a carefully planned and limited intervention in Lybia. The two conditions must be that 1) we have broad and substantial support from the Arab world and our NATO allies so that it's not seen as unilateral U.S. operation; and 2) that the Arab country's, not the U.S., have the prime on the ground responsibility for policing and rebuilding the country after the brief multi-national military intervention. The U.S. (along with our NATO allies) is probably uniquely positioned to provide logistic support for a pan-Arab rebuilding program, but we cannot take the lead in terms of forces on the ground.

If those two conditions are met, it seems to me that we might consider it. Otherwise, our intervention would likely be limited to something like imposing and enforcing a no-fly zone along with some allies.

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by Camille

SAS missions are often reported after the fact...it's the people that are never identified.

C

Actually, I was thinking about all of the times they aren't written about. The U.S. has those types too. . . . and there are the drones.

[Camille]

? I wasn't responding to you IB..I was replying to Ansley.
I never said the SAS report every mission and I never said the US didn't have equivalent folks. You either misunderstood me or are assuming something more to what I said.

C