Scandinavians on warpath to Libya (Scandinavians may not look exactly as depicted)  http://619sports.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/vikings.jpg

Am I the only one who finds the international positioning on Libya very confusing?

I’m not denying for a minute that the decision to engage militarily in that benighted country is a difficult one. It is. It certainly has me tied up in knots, torn between desire to protect Libyan civilians on the one hand, and real concern about our committing to another war – and almost inevitably ending up hurting some of those civilians about whom we’re so concerned.

On balance, thinking about the one hand and the other, I guess I’m tentatively, hesitatingly, quaveringly onside. But I don’t feel good about that.

Around the world, countries are lining up for or against the no-fly zone and airstrikes, sometimes in predictable ways, sometimes in irritating ways, and sometimes in ways it’s not easy to comprehend.

It’s no surprise to see Hugo Chavez, Muammar Gaddafi’s BFF denouncing the action as a Western plot to steal Libya’s oil (which makes no sense, since the Europeans previously seemed perfectly happy to buy said oil from the Crazy Colonel). Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Cuba’s geriatric Castro brothers are in the same camp.

China and Russia unexpectedly abstained from the UN Security Council vote authorizing military action, but since then, Russia’s Prime Minister (and former and future President) Vladimir Putin has likened the Libya assault to a “medieval call to crusade” by the West. And now, Putin-protégé and current President Dmitry Medvedev has complicated things, slamming Putin’s crusade remarks as “unacceptable”. 

Is your head spinning yet? 

If not, then consider those peace-loving Scandinavians, who are eager to supply not only planes and munitions for the Libyan operations, but also some of the most belligerent and ambitious rhetoric. Sweden wants the allied coalition not only to halt Libya’s offensive actions against civilians – but also to actively oust the current regime and get busy with nation-building. "What is required is to build a post-Gaddafi Libya," said Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.  

Denmark’s parliament voted unanimously – unanimously! – to support military action. Expressing national pride in their Nordic readiness, Danish Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech said, “Apart from France, the US and Great Britain, Denmark is recognised as the country that was quickest to respond to the UN Security Council’s resolution.” 

Danish F-16s are already in the skies over Libya, Norwegian F-16s are on the way, and Sweden reports that its Gripen fighter jets could be deployed “within days”. 

Germany on the other hand, wants no part of the fight, and is using the changing-by-the-minute statements from the Arab League to justify its position. Citing one Arab League comment criticizing the airstrikes, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said, "It means that we see the risks and when we listen closely to what the Arab League yesterday said, unfortunately we see that we have reasons for our concern.”

Immediately, Germany’s close allies shot back, with assertions from Sweden, Luxembourg, and the European Union itself, that the Arab League was back onboard with the coalition effort.

I don’t understand all this, why some surprising countries are champing at the bit to fight, while others (including the notably reticent America) are less enthusiastic.

Italy’s in. Canada’s in. Spain is part of the war effort, even though their national coffers are so empty they don’t have a pot to piss in. Britain and France, of course, led the way.

Brazil abstained from the UN vote, India is shouting loudly for the strikes to stop, I think the African Union is on Gaddafi’s side, and… let me check… the Arab League may have changed its tune again.

Helpfully, America’s statesmen and women are all over the map. Senators John Kerry, John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Joe Lieberman are in favor of decisive action. Senators Richard Lugar and Dianne Feinstein have urged restraint.

House Majority Leader Boehner stated very clearly and very orange-ly that, ''The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” The wonder is that he managed not to burst into tears as he said so.

And, apparently, Representative Dennis Kucinich wants President Obama impeached.

Huh.

Belligerent Scandinavians. Hesitant Republicans. Contradictory Russians. Angry Indians. Confused Arabs. I bet the Israelis are just sitting down, kicking off their shoes and ordering a Diet Coke.

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