As violence escalates in Libya, many foreign powers are wondering whether or not to intervene to prevent further bloodshed. The UN Security Council issued a statement today regarding Libya, but it is not a resolution of any kind and will essentially have no effect of any kind.
The United States is weighing its options, wondering whether or not to intervene. The last thing that the Obama administration wants is to stand by and watch this devolve into another Rwanda, in which ethnic cleansing broke out in the 90s while the Clinton administration and the world looked on. The Obama administration has condemned the bloodshed.
Gadhafi has been condemned by many world leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Admiral Mullen, head of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the Libyan military for firing upon its own people, calling this unacceptable.
Among the options being considered by certain western powers include declaring a no-fly zone over Libya. Any war planes taking off would be shot down by NATO or UN Peacekeeping forces. While drastic, supporters of this plan point out that it would level the playing field just a little more for the protesters.
Libya is losing support by more of its ministers. The ambassador to the United States has now explicitly said that Mubarak must step down. Several key, high-ranking army figures have defected to the opposition.
Gadhafi still remains defiant, saying that he will not step down and he will not flee to exile. He says that he will die in Libya and is more than willing to take the dissidents down with him.
Former American Defense Secretary Cohen warned that if the violence continues to spread throughout the Middle East, then it could destabilize oil prices. This may in turn cause political turmoil to spread beyond the region to places such as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, or Sub-Saharan Africa.
The United States is weighing its options, wondering whether or not to intervene. The last thing that the Obama administration wants is to stand by and watch this devolve into another Rwanda, in which ethnic cleansing broke out in the 90s while the Clinton administration and the world looked on. The Obama administration has condemned the bloodshed.
Gadhafi has been condemned by many world leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Admiral Mullen, head of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the Libyan military for firing upon its own people, calling this unacceptable.
Among the options being considered by certain western powers include declaring a no-fly zone over Libya. Any war planes taking off would be shot down by NATO or UN Peacekeeping forces. While drastic, supporters of this plan point out that it would level the playing field just a little more for the protesters.
Libya is losing support by more of its ministers. The ambassador to the United States has now explicitly said that Mubarak must step down. Several key, high-ranking army figures have defected to the opposition.
Gadhafi still remains defiant, saying that he will not step down and he will not flee to exile. He says that he will die in Libya and is more than willing to take the dissidents down with him.
Former American Defense Secretary Cohen warned that if the violence continues to spread throughout the Middle East, then it could destabilize oil prices. This may in turn cause political turmoil to spread beyond the region to places such as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, or Sub-Saharan Africa.
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