Are European Options Still Open?

I keep saying the Europeans could scrape up enough ground troops to capture Tripoli. Spanish, French, and Italian troops are already there. German paratroopers (wholly in theory, of course) could fly in quickly as could British paratroopers. But British amphibious assets would have to be sent to the Mediterranean, unlike the marines of Mediterranean NATO members.

Well, the British have addressed their distance issue:

Hundreds of marines are coming Gibraltar's way as part of a major British exercise. The exercise is called Operation Cougar and its first phase will be in the Mediterranean up to June.

The concentration of so many men and ships in this area of the world, with North Africa in a state of permanent upheaval, has led to speculation in British papers that it is all to do with the Libya uprising - and whatever happens next.

Six hundred Marines (a battalion), to be specific. This news is a week old, by the way. I saw a reference to it yesterday but lost the piece when Explorer crashed and could not retrieve what I had saved on screen. But I found it today, so there.

And yes, this could all be routine and mean nothing. But it does not change the fact that an amphibious task force expands NATO options while the force is near Libya.