Quote:
Originally Posted by filtherton
I don't know. The terms of their ceasefire don't seem all that compromising.
|
The fact that they are even offering a compromise says that they are willing to compromise. It also suggests that they believe that they are currently in their strongest position. If they believe outside support is not going to be available or that the support is going to be inadequate they have no better time than now to negotiate. I am sure Kadafi realizes this. Kadafi has been smart enough to hold on to power for decades - he probably has more insight into outsider resolve than he gets credit for.
Quote:
|
I don't know that it necessarily represents a softening of resolve.
|
The rebels are fighting for their lives, their resolve has not softened, it can't. They know that they must prevail or die. A split Libya is very unlikely. I question if US or "Western" resolve was ever real. The american public never bought into this war. Even members of the Obama administration were split.
---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:50 PM ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by roachboy
there's considerable negociations going on behind the marketing curtain it seems...so i wouldn't put much weight on the various pronouncements that are floating across the surface of the infotainment-scape at this point. the defections of the past 24 hours are big deals. the game could be changing. manly man talk from the american right could not be less relevant.
|
These issues have nothing to do with "right" or "left" - as there are people in both camps on both sides of this issue. Nor does it have anything to do with "manly man talk" - this is a real war with real lives on the line. I fear one of the problems from the very beginning was political gamesmanship rather than simply doing what is right based on core beliefs.
The defections pale in comparison to what Mullens and Gates had to say. Those statements are the game changer, and most likely resulted in the ceasefire request.