Newt Gingrich: Libya No-Fly Zone Should Happen 'This Evening'

A number of politicians have come out in favor of intervention in Libya in recent days, including Senators John McCain and John Kerry, reports the National Journal. Newt Gingrich has now added his two cents, going a step further by insisting that the U.S. should institute the policy "this evening."

Gingrich, speaking with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night, said that the U.S. should "exercise a no fly zone this evening" and that the U.S. should proceed unilaterally. On forming a coalition with other nations, he said, "The United States doesn't need anybody's permission. We don't need to have NATO, who frankly, won't bring much to the fight. We don't need to have the United Nations."

Rebel forces within Libya have been calling for the U.N. to organize a no-fly zone in order to ward off accusations of "foreign intervention" by the U.S. The Persian Gulf States have also called on the U.N. to oversee the operation, reports the AFP.

Gingrich argued that would take "minutes" for the U.S. military to suppress the Libyan air force. In contrast, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates previously said that beginning a no-fly zone in Libya would be "a big operation in a big country," reports the New York Times.

Gingrich accused the Obama administration of being "confused," saying, "The idea that we're confused about a man who has been an anti-American dictator since 1969 just tells you how inept this administration is." The Obama administration has said that a no-fly zone is being considered, but has not yet committed to the policy, according to the Guardian.

"This is a moment to get rid of [Gaddafi]. Do it. Get it over with," the potential 2012 presidential candidate stated.

According to GlobalPost, European powers, including Britain and France, have also argued for a no-fly zone. Russia, however, which holds a permanent voting seat on the U.N. Security Council, has argued that a no-fly zone would be a "serious interference into the domestic affairs of another country."

Watch Gingrich's take on Libya here:

Comments

[alkh3myst]

09:07 AM on 03/13/2011

Newt is absolutely right! Tyrants who slaughter people from the air must be stopped! Oh...uh...sorry, Mr. President.

[panamarine]

01:17 PM on 03/10/2011

ACCORDING TO THE Dogs of War and the American military might is the ONLY way to solve conflagerations around the world. The armchair Generals think they know more than the Pentagon's Generals and they believe the White House is "weak". These are the shoot first and ask questions later crowd. They will want to get America embroiled in a War to prove their vicarious machismo.
Here's a quote from (Never served in the Military Newt) : "The United States doesn't need anybody's permission. We don't need to have NATO, who frankly, won't bring much to the fight. We don't need to have the United Nations." Right Newt, lets open a THIRD front and send in the Marines to take care of this one.
Why can't we let those Freedom fighters in Libya shed their own blood for a change...they'll get the job done, and moreover give Khadaffi a hard time for years to come, they will be HIS at home terrorist, HIS insurgents. Freedom should come at their blood, sweat and tears this time. Not American men and women's...we've done enough over there (Middle East) for now.

[riverhouse]

06:18 PM on 03/09/2011

I doubt Newt has a clue what constitutes a no fly zone. The GOP tea baggers with their ridiculous shrouds of pseudo Christianity love nothing more than killing people in foreign lands so they will have no choice but to cut every social, educational, and health program in the United States to pay for all the military actions they yearn for.

[nelson rivera]

11:44 PM on 03/10/2011

Newt knows to take action. Newt Care's about what happens to other people in a foreign Land. One Day Libya will mess with the west. We will look back One day and say why we didn't do anything. When we had the chance to end One Dictator's dream of getting Weapon's of Mass Destruction.When Million's Die because we did nothing to stop it!

[alkh3myst]

09:06 AM on 03/13/2011

"This #$%& is run by fake Christians, fake politicians, just look at their mansions and the conditions you're livin' in." - Immortal Technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXkpN3hvHUE

[NHGranite]

12:40 PM on 03/09/2011

When they want to go to war, "deficits don't matter"
http://www.ontheissues.org/2004/Dick_Cheney_Budget_+_Economy.htm
Spend to get out of a depression? AHHH! Noooo! the DEFICIT

[RED66]

01:48 PM on 03/09/2011

1. We have no business enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

2. Spending never got us out of a depression. FDR proved that.

[gnorrfa]

11:52 AM on 03/09/2011

newt informs us that libya has been anti-american since 1969. that includes the administrations of nixon, ford, carter, reagan. ghwbush, clinton, gwbush and two years of obama. why is obama the only one that MUST be accountable for this madman whom many of his countrymen want out of power? most of us would like to see this monster bombed into extinction. however, we don't understand all the intricacies of our conducting "dictatorship cleansing" unilaterally. libya isn't the only country in n. africa and the middle east we'd have to deal with. simple solutions are not that simple.

[jtabs]

11:12 AM on 03/09/2011

And Newt, Limbaugh and Hannity should lead the charge.

[NHGranite]

12:41 PM on 03/09/2011

in uniform, not their typical trend toward UPS color shirts

[jtabs]

01:04 PM on 03/09/2011

In uninformed you mean.

[brunneng]

10:44 AM on 03/09/2011

has this dude ever heard of the Constitution of the United States that says, among other crazy things, that international treaties signed by the President and ratified by the Senate are the law of the land?

[RED66]

11:42 AM on 03/09/2011

Do they supercede the US Constitution?

[NHGranite]

12:23 PM on 03/09/2011

I don't know - do they?

[Stephen Cataldo]

05:38 PM on 03/10/2011

They don't contradict the Constitution to need to supercede it, as far as I know. It's just law, like all the domestic laws, that all need to be constitutional.

[Larry Motuz]

10:42 AM on 03/09/2011

Newt should stay under the rock that is his home.

[palisades02]

10:36 AM on 03/09/2011

Contrary to popular belief, the United States does not need to act as the world's police force. While Qaddafi's actions are egregious to say the least, and we certainly condemn them, the last thing the United States needs is to stick its nose in another country's business.
Consider the situations we have already gotten ourselves into in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq has already displaced Vietnam as the longest-running conflict in American history.
Additionally, the Afghanistan situation has gone on far too long. It seems like once the United States commits troops to a given country, it's impossible for them to ever leave.
If that seems far-fetched, consider that the U.S. still has some troops stationed in Germany. Considering that World War II was resolved some time ago, that hardly seems necessary.
If that weren't enough, consider the United States' reputation as a country that gets involved too much in other countries' problems. The world community largely resented the invasion of Iraq, and people tend to view the U.S. as a nation with a strong sense of entitlement that needs to involve itself with every conflict.
Sending troops to Libya would only inflate this problem. It would create a lengthy conflict, and it would lead to anti-American resentment in other countries. When looking at this, it becomes clear that not getting involved on a military level is the smartest thing the U.S. can do.

[flossophy]

10:59 AM on 03/09/2011

I'm sure that'll send a clear message to other despots who want to maintain their grip on power:

America is unwilling to intervene because our lefties would rather take the "moral" high road and watch the sIaughter on TV of people seeking freedom and democracy.

Brilliant.... That'll put an end to anti-American resentment, huh.

[nelson rivera]

09:46 PM on 03/09/2011

You are right about America being Gun shy and don't step on anyone's now. I here the Main Reason We are staying out of Libya So far is Many Arab countries don't want us to mess around In Libya.

[panamarine]

01:23 PM on 03/10/2011

No, it will send a message that its about time THEY take care of REGIME CHANGE for a change. Time for them to shed some blood for THEIR freedom. Tell me why some mother, wife, daughter, son, father, friend have to loose an American aviator---Just because the Libyan freedom fighters can't do it themselves? Look, leave this one to the Libyan Insurgents, they will get Khadaffi sooner or later. He needs to feel the heat coming at HIM for a change. Get it?

[LazloTu]

11:04 AM on 03/09/2011

Totally agree. Unilateral military intervention would be a global disaster, and would completely destroy the credibility that the Obama Admistration has begun to rebuild.

The US is not and should not be the global police, contrary to Gingrich and other TGOP thugs. His position illustrates the continued twisted thinking and attitudes of the cheney/bush clan, and demonstrates complete lack of wisdom and/or introspection.

Fanned for your excellent post.

[flossophy]

11:08 AM on 03/09/2011

If you haven't noticed... the middle east democracy protesters are disillusioned with Obama's lack of leadership and support. 

And btw... if you didn't like what the world was like with a strong American empire (police force)... you certainly won't like what the world will be like with a weak American empire. 

Be careful what you wish for.

[CenterMod]

10:16 AM on 03/09/2011

Can you imagine this guy with the codes to the nuclear "football" carried by presidential aides?

[RED66]

11:45 AM on 03/09/2011

Just as scary as when TIF President Clinton, former President Bush carried them.

Just as scary with President Obama holding them.

[MadamRoma]

10:15 AM on 03/09/2011

I think we should fly over and drop a big "gas" bag, that would be you Newt.

[Mike Westlake]

10:34 AM on 03/09/2011

Funny, MR.
Mike Westlake

[fishdude]

10:08 AM on 03/09/2011

This is why newt is out to lunch. Let's just take the side of the rebels in Libya without know exactly who they are. Now, if Obama followed that advice and the rebels turned out to worse or even connected to "terrorist", then newt would be the first person screaming that the Administration rushed too quickly into the conflict.

[RED66]

11:45 AM on 03/09/2011

President Obama has already taken the side of the rebels as he did in Egypt.

Nobody, at this point, knows how this will turn out.

I hope for the best.

[HCLiberal]

10:06 AM on 03/09/2011

The US should be declared a no-Gingrich zone.

[Pamski]

10:26 AM on 03/09/2011

Making the whole world a better place - F/F.

[Mike Westlake]

10:37 AM on 03/09/2011

HCL, Let's hope the voters see through his cloak of piety and hypocrisy. He's really a dangerous dud, I mean dude.
Mike Westlake
www.TheWestlakeReport.com

[flossophy]

10:50 AM on 03/09/2011

I think Obama's dithering, inaction and lack of moral clarity on what's happening is far more dangerous for the region and for the US.

[HCLiberal]

10:57 AM on 03/09/2011

In my view, Gingrich has no chance of being the Republican nominee for President. He is just trying to be as outrageous to get some media attention (same as Palin and Huckabee).

As for being smart, he has always been over-rated,, being among the very few Republicans who can be called educated. Since when being an ex-professor of History at some college in Georgia become a proof of being really "smart"?
And, politically, he has been handed his behind many times.

[lanebaldwin]

10:04 AM on 03/09/2011

Our unilateralism doesn't seem to have helped much lately. In fact, it's done extreme harm to our relationships with other countries, and has severely damaged our economy.

And it won't help create jobs.

[RED66]

11:46 AM on 03/09/2011

TRUE!!!

[nelson rivera]

10:31 PM on 03/09/2011

You are wrong about Jobs. The Defense Industry Need's Contract's. If American has no Conflict's. The Defense Industry will layoff Thousand's of worker's. Contract's will be Canceled. The Armed Force's will Downsize. Thousand's of Extra Veteran's Looking for work. Then other Countries Will pick on us for sure.