My problem is the answer to this question: What is it exactly that the rebels are fighting for? I admit to not knowing a lot about Libya, but Muslims are fairley predictable and freedom and Islam don't walk down the street hand in hand. I'm afraid that their rallying cry might be "Sharia. . . or death!" I think that as Americans, we want to root for the underdog/rebel because of our own beginnings; but not all underdogs are alike. What if the rebellion is backed by Al Qaeda or Sharia? - and it's not unlikely given the goals of those two entities. Are we better off with a new Islamic "republic"?
OK, now that all of that is said - what should the US course be? Side with the guy known to be a terrorist dictator or with the group that may end up as one? Or may not? Obviously we don't want Qaddafi still around, but I am leery of the people trying to throw him off. The Egyptian protestors sure weren't friendly to westerners in the country. They showed this disdain by beating the people that they knew would tell the story of those beatings - the journalists. So once again, what do we do? I don't know. I hope there is good intel on the rebels but as I see it - we're looking damned if we do, damned if we don't.