TB (above) is right, on both counts. The Euros need Libyan oil more than we do, and they are way too used to us patrolling their neighborhood. But this is a new world, and we are not going to war for their sweet crude and we can no longer afford to fight their fights for them. The Cold War is over, and if they want a NATO with us in it, they are going to have to hold up their end of it.

When this Libya thing broke out I first thought the Euro's were getting us to do their dirty work yet again. But it soon became clear that after some initial, and very effective, kick-ass on our part, this was their problem and they had to get involved because we had our hands full elsewhere. Besides, the US is tired of being slammed for being the neighborhood bully, but getting no respect and no backup when the bottles start flying.

I believe Obama has handled this just right, probably not consciously, or deliberately, but in the way it will eventually turn out, through no fault of his own. He stepped in and got the ball rolling, but its their rumble now.

I believe Khadaffi's days are numbered. But if they are not, what's the very worst that can happen? He wins and we go back to the way things were? That would be too bad, but we can live with it and it's not our problem. We did our part even when we had little to gain from it. We did the right thing and we have nothing to be ashamed of.

Besides. With the way stuff is going down in the MidEast and N Africa now, we may want to save our interventions for when we REALLY need them. Libya is not worth a war. Syria or Iran might be.