All Quiet on the Libya Front

In Libya, nobody is trying to defeat the other side. Each is focusing on survival for the next round without NATO.

Fighting has heated up, taking place in the west against rebels southwest and west of Tripoli, and most noticeably around Misrata where the loyalists have destroyed critical fuel storage tanks and have used helicopters marked with red crosses and crescents to mine the port area. Clearly, if you are going to be sent to trial for war crimes, what the heck--why follow any rules of war? I'd seriously start worrying about Khaddafi's use of mustard gas. Although that might be enough of a shock to provoke Western ground intervention, you can never tell what the loyalists in the bunker might think is a good idea.

I still haven't heard anything else about who controls oil facilities in the deep southeast or cities southeast of Ajdabiya. There were initial reports of Khaddafi forces entering the towns and then nothing.

Also, it is interesting that the coastal front west of Ajdabiya has been very quiet. Loyalists control the oil facilities and don't think it is worth it to risk NATO air power to attack to the east. But also, the rebels have restrained themselves from lunging west before they are ready to take on the loyalists. I'd guess the 40 or so NATO (British, French, and Italian) advisers in Benghazi had a role in that.

This war could go on a while as the loyalists focus on nailing down their territory (which they think should include Misrata) and the rebels try to create an actual army and government in their territory, rather than either side trying for a knockout blow at the other side's base of power. By then, NATO won't be involved in the war as they declare victory (to the world--but we'll all know they are just tired) and go home outwardly proud of a mission accomplished.

UPDATE: This points out the fighting to the southwest of Tripoli is not getting much NATO help. It also adds the interesting fact that the loyalists used crop-dusting planes to bomb those fuel storage tanks. Fighting away from the cameras and with non-military assets shows further adaptation by the loyalists of fighting under the NATO air umbrella.