[avaincmolla]

While I am not opposed to the idea, it's probably not the best way to go about it. The risk is that our overt involvement would turn this movement from a thing the arab people have been doing for themselves into just another instance of the centuries-old self-interested Western intervention in the region. It would taint any positive outcome. I've got to imagine there is a better way to deal with this.

We don't need to shoot down Qaddafi's planes - the Libyans can do it themselves. It shouldn't be hard to surreptitiously get them what they need; his air force is pretty awful, and those planes and helicopters make awfully big targets. I don't think that they have a prayer.