This isn’t funny, but it is ironic.  Fox News is reporting that NATO may delay its takeover of the kinetic military action in Libya because Susan Rice, America’s Ambassador to the United Naitons, says that the Obama Administration has not ruled out arming the rebels in their fight against Moammar Gadhafi.  

Ms. Rice appeared on ABC’s Good Morning, America and stated that our primary purpose was to protect civilians and establish a no-fly zone, but that we have not ruled out arming the rebels.

This discussion comes at a rather inconvenient time–Yahoo News is currently reporting that the rebels have been driven back from Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte. 

Yahoo News reports:

“In a scene reminiscent of the rebels’ rout last week, panicked volunteers jumped into their pickup trucks and attempted to speed away from the bombardment, kicking up dust clouds and choking the narrow coastal highway in a mad scramble of vehicles.

“Sirte is dominated by members of the Libyan leader’s Gadhadhfa tribe and was used as a second capital by Gadhafi. Its loss would be a symbolic blow and open the way to the capital Tripoli.”

It is rather obvious that this is not going to be a three-day war.  We need to make up our minds now how much we are willing to invest in Libya.  This is not an auction where you are spurred on by other bidders–it is a war where people’s lives are at stake.  We need either to bomb the government forces into submission or get out.  Any other course of action will kill more innocent people.