Half Hearted Defence of Libyan People = no Exit Strategy for NATO

Journalists have been asking about the exit strategy from the UN R2P engagement in Libya ever since it started.

The answeris that the exit is bound up in the success of the mission.

The success of the mission depends on several factors - political actions such as blocking Libya State TV and recalling the mercenaries, and then military factors.

The fact is that NATO is sucking its thumb. Tanks and artillery have been pounding Libyas third largest city, Miserata, for many days. They are in the open, able to be hit, but only in the last 2 days has action been taken.

This half hearted action reflects a shade of opinion within NATO that actually sympathises with Gaddafi.   Turkey is the main purveyor of this view within NATO, but there is also an unholy alliance in the commentariat between far right and far left, both of whom would prefer a laissez faire policy to human rights abuses.

Either the Allies pull their fingers out, or we are in for a long, bloody, drawn out human tragedy in Libya.