GREAT BRIT LAYING IT ON THE LINE – AT 8:08 A.M. ET:  One can't help but be impressed by the current British leadership.  Just as Tony Blair was always there for us, Prime Minister David Cameron and Defense Secretary Liam Fox are leading us.

Now Fox, a physician turned political figure, is laying it on the line about Libya.  From the Jerusalem Post:

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said that Gaddafi could become a target of the Western coalition's air strikes, as long as civilians' safety would be guaranteed, the Guardian reported on Sunday.

Fox reportedly explained that the scale of the attacks are "essential in terms of the Gaddafi regime's ability to prosecute attacks on their own people."

And from Fox:

British submarines fired two missiles at Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi’s compound in downtown Tripoli Sunday, a senior coalition official confirmed to Fox News, as part of a weekend of punishing attacks aimed at protecting the Libyan people.

The British Ministry of Defense confirmed that Qaddafi was not the target, but that the compound was hit because of its military significance. A Pentagon official had previously said Sunday that the coalition “will not be going after Qaddafi.”

COMMENT:  I wouldn't give much weight to the disclaimers.  Traditionally, Western countries have not spoken in terms of assassination, so the attack on Gaddafi's compound is framed in military terms.  But if you want to get Gaddafi, his compound is a pretty good place to start, unless he's vacationing in fabulous Venezuela, by the sea.

If Gaddafi remains in power at the end of our intervention, it will be seen as an American and Western loss.  I'm sure even the White House realizes that.

March 21, 2011