This intervention is different than going in and taking out a dictator. here we have a people rising up and ultimately hoping help would arrive once they do rise up. So the intervention is important.
But we definitely can’t own this one, we just can’t afford it.
I think the US knew we have the upper hand in forcing the Europeans to take charge for once. The Europeans were faced with a tidal wave of refugees. let’s just assume eastern libya has a population of 2 million, if kadafi takes over, the majority will try to escape, mostly across the border to egypt, but a large amount across to Italy and France. and then we will have to deal with a huge refugee camp much like the gaza strip except on egyptian soil. where are those going to end up? right across to Italy and France over the next 10 years.
The Europeans were forced to act, they own this and they should.