Libya

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa/4793634/Resident-says-Gaddafi-forces-dressed-as-civilians

Cant really see this going well...

If they had acted sooner then the rebels may have been able to throw him out but there doesnt seem to be much chance of that now.

Agree

I'm also uneasy about how the UN jumped into Libya but not done the same for other nations that are also cracking down on dissenters - we all know why

has anyone told the UN/Western powers they suck at chess?

I think they had a moral obligation to do something and it was certainly in the UN mandate to do something but it should really have come from the arab states. Though I see Qatar is joining in.

I would've sworn they had full Arab buy in for the no fly zone.

they basically did, but the arabs states wanna say they're uncomfortable about it because they want to keep their people happy...

yeah UN acted after the Arab League or whatever it is pretty much gave them the thumbs up

meanwhile other freedom loving protestors in certain other Arab nations are ignored

weapons sellers the world over are celebrating this latest windfall

Protests aren't enough though surely? It really depends on the extent of civilian attacks -- is this happening in the other uprisings? I was under the impression that it wasn't really -- at least nowhere near as badly as in Libya -- but could very well be wrong...

yeah cos Ghadaafi has isolated himself and has few friends inside the Arab world (who endorsed this) and is not too powerful

Syria may not be so easy though

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10714534

the other uprisings or seeds of protests in certain nations have been crushed - Saudi was crushing dissent before anyone even got out of the house to think about making a banner or throwing a shoe.. and has lent a willing hand to those they support

this isn't about democracy... its tribal... and freedom for all is no ones policy nor intent in anything but language

Im not quite so cynical or sure of such a black and white stance BD. There are many players and many motivations.

stance - nah, more a gut feeling that the double standards we all know exist will play out in the usual manner here, please let me be wrong as this isn't about a single nation and the dissent and anger could easily spread through the middle east as it seems to be and further

I beleive this is more to do with commodiy prices than a ground swell desire for the right to vote in a democratic election - ie the speculative bubble created by wall st et al which has seen food prices & other commodities skyrocket the world over... poor people want food etc ... middle classes want more freedom - like you say many players and motivations - somethng the West (well US lead nations) has never coped with well in conflict

don't forget the bugbear of mostly shia Iran interfering in Bahrain and Saudi supporting the shia minority who are doing the 'uprising' in Saudi and the shia majority who are protesting the sunni leadership in Bahrain (and justifiably so)

that seriously ups the ante

I don't buy into the Evil Iran messing with others arguement - they probably exert as much influence as CIA and other western operatives - but hey lets not change the war on terror rhetoric...

it's power politics - just get used to it

what sort of comment is that?

its life jim... get used to it

yep, pretty much

but thats a given in any situation globally

political power... economic power... ken rings power with a side order of military might

It makes it very hard to hold a black and white view of the situation.