Could the conflict in Libya escalate to a full-scale war with Allied troops fighting Libyan troops?

Leonardo D: Could the conflict in Libya escalate to a full-scale war with Allied troops fighting Libyan troops?
I don’t mean to provoke anger or controversy, but I am just wondering if the conflict could go higher than it is. So far, we are just launching strikes against the Libyan military to protect the civilians over there, but is it possible it could elevate to full-scale war? You know, Allied troops actually invading Libya to overthrow Qaddafi’s regime by force.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Gorkbark Porkduke Gefunken Fubar
The odds of this happening are close to 100%. The resulting ground conflict will drag on for decades. Your children and your grand children will grow up reading about the ongoing war in Libya.

Answer by pearlmar
Not in our lifetime.

Answer by YMAT
IF Guddafi fired Scud missiles at Europe, it will become full scale war because it will justified.

Answer by Craig C
That is very unlikely to happen because Obama has “absolutely” ruled out any ground troops in Libya (making the exception that when planes crash, as one has boots are technically on Libyan soil). Our aim, the allies (UK, France,US, Italy and many more) is not to overthrow or assassinate Colonel Gadaffi, our job is to protect the civilian population that is under attack by their own government because of what they want for the country, however if Gadaffi, for example got into a tank and took it to a town like Benghazi and started bombing them then he would become a legitimate military target and he would face severe action by the coalition forces and he would die.

This is not a war because nobody has declared war, Libya included and they may never do, and there are reports that those close to Gadaffi are reaching out to their very limited friends to ask them how to “get out of this alive” and Gadaffi may decide to flee, although this is unlikely because he has vowed to “die in Libya”.

There is a chance, as MI5 have said, that Libyans living in countries like the UK, France and the US may carry out terrorist attacks amid reports that NATO countries have been warned to expect imminent attacks from the security service after they picked up Internet chatter.

So in conclusion a full scale war is not going to happen but revenge attacks may take place in countries around the world.

Answer by Guru Hank
Yes. The UN mandate was made to protect the civilian population. If Gaddafi’s supporters looked like achieving their objectives regardless of the ‘no fly’ zone policy, then there would be the same grounds for supporting a ground force intervention to prevent them from succeeding.

Answer by herbie7754
No
At last we have learned from the past.
Help the Libyan people to fight on the ground.
By wreaking havok on Qaddafi’s killing machine from the air.

Answer by Petrusclavus
The West is determined to establish a puppet (oil) state – Gadaffi is determined to stop the rebels. If the air interdiction does not stop the Libyan army then “boots on the ground” it will be. Just who’s boots is another matter. USA could take over the British comitement in Afghanistan and Iraq.