The Next Phase Of The Libyan War Will Be To Arm The Rebels

Rebel forces retreated from around Ajdabiya after they came under fire from Gaddafi's forces [Reuters]

Now We Must Arm The Insurgents So That Gaddafi Can Be Toppled -- Malcolm Rifkind, The Telegraph

The no-fly zone will last indefinitely unless Libya's people can fight effectively, argues Malcolm Rifkind.

So far so good in Libya, but what about the endgame? Gaddafi can no longer use his air force because of the no-fly zone. His navy can no longer bombard towns because of the naval blockade imposed under UN authority. His army is losing tanks, artillery and other heavy weapons because of bombing and precision missiles. This is not just a no-fly zone. It is almost a no-combat zone, and all the better for it.

The regime now knows that it has lost eastern Libya and will never be able to reoccupy Benghazi. The fortunes of war have changed, which will be having a devastating impact on the morale of Gaddafi's generals and soldiers. His mercenaries will already be slipping away. Martyrdom was never part of their contract.

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My Comment: When the coalition started to get actively involved in Libya's revolution, arming and supporting the rebels through proxies like Saudi Arabia was always in the cards. My only hope is that they start to use these resources, because at the present moment a stalemate in Libya will be the only eventual outcome.