What is unfolding is an escalation of military operations, which at the same time is leading to a protracted war.
This shift in the direction of military operations geared towards aerial and helicopter support to "boots on the ground" commandos will not necessarily lead to an all out invasion, at least in the foreseeable future.
Nuclear Weapons against Libya
It is worth noting that the use of Shock and Awe tactical nuclear weapons against Libya has been contemplated as part of this "humanitarian war". In 1996, Libya was the "chosen country" in the Middle East and North Africa to be targeted with a B61-11 tactical nuclear weapon. The latter is a bunker buster bomb equipped with a nuclear warhead.
The plan to nuke Libya was never scrapped. Of utmost significance, shortly after the commencement of the bombing campaign on March 19, the Pentagon ordered the testing of the functionality of B61-11 nuclear bomb. These tests were conducted using the same B2 Stealth Bombers, out of the same US military base in Missouri, which were used to coordinate the B2 Stealth bombing raids on Libya at the outset of the war on March 19. (See Michel Chossudovsky, Dangerous Crossroads: Is America Considering the Use of Nuclear Weapons against Libya? Global Research, April 7, 2011)
These various developments point to a dangerous process of military escalation, which could potentially extend beyond Libya's borders. The broader economic and geo-strategic implications of this war are far-reaching.
