Brits excel ... again!

[Clanad]

One more time... you Brits show grit and guts reminiscent of Churchill, while our feckless President and Secretary of State walk a tight rope between appeasement and no action.
Background: "In a bold and daring move that suggested Churchillian backbone, the British military on Saturday flew military aircraft into Libya to rescue oil workers and others stranded in desert locations amid the escalating violence of Moammar Gaddafi's reign of terror.
The secret mission reportedly plucked 150 or more British citizens and other nationals from the chaos and flew them to safety in Malta Saturday, U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox confirmed to Associated Press."

So... in the face of leadership and stiff-lipped British expertise, what's our own U.S. government doing? Well, firstly, we have the Navy's Sixth Fleet deployed in the Mediterranean with ships and aircraft available to rescue trapped Americans in Libya. (The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli had no U.S. Marine security guard, only hired Libyan Nationals). But even after revelation (which everyone already knew) that Gaddaffai (how many ways are there to spell his name?) was personally responsible for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, our demi-leader couldn't even bring himself to mention Qaddafai's name and condemn his actions for three full days...

And... we rent an unseaworthy boat (not even a ship) to bring U.S. citizens to Malta after a three day delay for "weather". I don't think the U.S. Navy would have given a second thought to the weather
Oh, well... it is what it is... It was left to the British to give us a lesson in bold action.

[wolf63]

Before anyone criticises this post I have to add that I know nothing about politics, I also try to see both sides of an argument and much prefer other animals to my own species.

No matter what any politicians do (from any country) they can't win. Many people are angry that our government did not go in earlier to pick up our people, but surely the employers of these people and perhaps even the people themselves should have baled out when things started looking dodgy in the preceding two weeks or so.

clanad - I am Scottish first and British somewhere after that. :-)

I am off back to Animals and Nature.

Susan

[KARL]

Clanad, Each speaks as he feels (unless not free to do so), some don't like that. All have their own views, to others some of them are uncomfortable. For enlightenment many seek different views from their own, others seek an echo of their own views. How is that for incoherence ?

[KARL]

Up to the point of Blair's embrace of Muammar Ghaddafi, followed by others including the USA, not one US company had as such operated in Libya for perhaps 20 years or more. On the other hand several European companies (some with at least part actual US ownership) did continue to operate there for a time but the US Government ultimately forced all US companies to divest and withdraw completely from Libya in every respect (Occidental probably being the last). However, some Americans stayed on with the new oil field operators and/or service companies and a few joined even after the ban (their income was secret, undeclared and presumably tax-free too). The blacklisting (see my earlier post) continued until very recently, but after that I have no doubt there was a bit of a scramble to "do deals and make money" once the restrictions were eased - that was after I lost touch with the situation on the ground.

[Clanad]

Let me say, Karl, that all of your posts subsequent to your initial offering are succinct, clearly presented and eminently readable. Don't know what happened between 1808 and the following, but, although I suspect we may disagree on philosophical matters, I appreciate your views...