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In fact, AFRICOM's General Carter Ham, commanding the Libyan war, not NATO, said these and other strike aircraft are deployed and available to provide close air-ground support. Recent bad weather and threats from Gaddafi's mobile surface-to-air missiles restricted their use so far, he explained.
Claiming this will avoid civilian casualties, Times reasoning ignores the historic record that democratic and authoritarian governments willfully kill large numbers of civilians strategically to win wars at all cost, especially imperial ones to colonize conquered foes, control their resources, and exploit their people ruthlessly for profit.
During and since WW II alone, America killed millions of mostly civilian Japanese, Germans, Italians, Koreans, Southeast Asians, Central Americans, Africans, Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, and now Libyans.
In fact, its rules of engagement (ROE) stress one strategy only - win without restraint. All targets are fair game to defeat adversaries. In other words, civilian lives are of no consequence, and at times become strategic targets.
"Wars are messy business," said The Times, a disdainful comment mindless of the cost as long as not to Americans, at least not enough to make headlines.
To remove Gaddafi and control the entire Mediterranean Basin, expect a future Times editorial to endorse ground troops, suggested by General Ham before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Asked if deploying them was planned, he said:
"I suspect there might be some consideration of that. My personal view at this point would be that that's probably not the ideal circumstance, again for the regional reaction that having American boots on the ground would entail."
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