Intervention in Libya?

Skicka Nordic Battle Group till Libyen Brännpunkt SvD: "På försvarets hemsida kan vi läsa att ”Nordic Battlegroup är en viktig del för att stärka fred, frihet och demokrati i såväl Sverige som andra delar av världen”."

Magnus Andersson and Rikard Nordin both active in the Swedish Center Party Youth Organization wants to enter the fray in Libya. I have no idea what Nordic Battle Group could actually do there but I would like to argue about the wisdom of doing so.

The situation in Libya is horrible any person with good intentions would like the killing to stop. However, I personally don't think it is in actuality possible to do much about the situation from the outside. Robert Gates, the US Defense Secretary, even goes so far as to say that anyone that advice the President to enter Libya militarily should have his head examined. The reason for why he says so is probably that it is very easy to enter such a situation with good intent but very difficult to actually get out at a later stage. It is more than clear that trying to help will back fire and give you a bad reputation.

Should you go in anyhow to save people's lives? Probably not in this case because it is highly likely that Muammar Gaddafi started this debacle to copy the Damascus Spring event in Syria. To prepare for his sons to take over by exposing "troublemakers" that then can be eliminated to give them peace of mind for another generation. This Conspiracy Theory is valid if the present situation seem to hold out in that Gaddafi will regain his power in the country. It is unfortuantely only possible to have a position on activity of leaving the Arab countries to mind their own business.

I have heard that the Arab League is talking about the no-fly zone in beneficial terms. I'm not sure I trust their judgement on the issue though. They might just want the US to get bogged down at yet another site. Also, when you find out the no-fly zone was not enough you end up doing more and then you get stuck. It is a contradiction in terms that the Arab League is positive for an intervention since it is governed by rulers that would not themselves like interventions.