How will a no-fly zone over Libya affect their civil war?

Evan G: How will a no-fly zone over Libya affect their civil war?
Well the UN & NATO forces are thinking about creating a no-fly zone over Libya because of the civil war. But how will that help the rebels or affect Ghadafi?

I think we should give the rebels more supplies at least & cut off all Ghadafi’s supplies.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Rogue
It will stop mg from bombing the rebels.
And eventually weaken mg.

Answer by Sasuke Uchiha
nothing will happen, the UN and NATO are too weak to do anything

Answer by another gardener
It would benefit the oil companies, they are sponsoring this rebellion. It would piss off the rest of the Muslim world, as if we need more of them hating us.

Answer by Turkish guy
While the goal of a no-fly zone is to stop pro-Qaddafi forces from attacking anti-Qaddafi forces and to prevent supplies from coming into Libya to help the pro-Qaddafi forces, the actual effects of a no-fly zone may be different.

First, if a no-fly zone is instituted, it will require more than shooting down Qaddafi’s jets and bombers. Communications centers, surface-to-air missile batteries, radars, military airfields, and command-and-control units would all have to be destroyed in a large-scale attack. Afterwards, NATO forces will have to constantly be patrolling the Libyan airspace to ensure that the no-fly zone is enforced. This means that a very large amount of capital and military resources are going to be needed to make a no-fly zone happen. This would be no problem a decade ago when a no-fly zone was instituted in Kosovo (a much smaller country), but things are different now. The United States, who would obviously bare the main burden of the no-fly zone, is currently fighting two wars and is in the biggest recession in almost 90 years; it would take a major financial commitment to establish the no-fly zone at a time when the country does not have the capital to do so.

Second, a no-fly zone will likely result in civilian casualties, either by the accidental killing of civilians in the attacks against the Libyan air defense system, shooting down planes with civilians on them, or indirectly by cutting off essential supplies to the rebels in the East. And a no-fly zone will likely require missile attacks against pro-Qaddafi targets, which have in the past resulted in civilian casualties.

Third, the no-fly zone is not gaining enough traction in the international community to get a UN Security Council approval. Nor has it gotten support from the Arab League or Turkey, who are the main players in the Middle East. This reluctance will likely inhibit the White House’s desire to engage in what is basically an act of war. As Secretory of Defense Robert Gates said, this could result in a disastrous political fallout for the U.S. as it would be seen as another attack on a Muslim nation, even if it is to support a popular rebellion against a violent dictator.

Fourth, the establishment of a no-fly zone can easily and quickly escalate. If the U.S. and/or NATO goes down this road, it will take responsibility for the outcome of the conflict. That means possibly engaging in more military action to ensure that pro-Qaddafi forces are defeated, even if that means deploying land forces.

Fifth, this is a land war. Taking out the Libyan air forces will weaken Qaddafi, but it will not be enough to tip the scales of the rebellion in favor of the anti-Qaddafi forces. Qaddafi is doing most of his fighting with tanks and SUV’s, which are outside the realm of the no-fly zone. However that does not mean that the U.S. or NATO should not engage in Libya. A better, and cheaper, strategy would be to train, supply, and organize the rebels who are in desperate need of it. The rebels already have the manpower, enough of some supplies, and the enthusiasm for the the conflict. And it would only require a few small teams of special operations forces instead of entire military units and air forces. The same thing was done in Afghanistan to overthrown the Taliban, it would very likely work in Libya as well. Also passive military actions, such as communications jamming, could tip the rebellion in favor of the anti-Qaddafi forces.