Nobody knows where he is hiding out and unless your going to send in soldiers how will you find out? The troops had been in Iraq for a long time before the found Saddam Hussain. During Desert Storm in 1991 it turned out Saddam had been traveling around so nobody knew where he was. Its easy to say they should kill him but how do you do that from an airplane if you don't know where he is hiding? There are special forces in Libya for sure but special forces alone won't find him unless they get real lucky. The UN resolution also does not give them authority to intentionally kill him or call for regime change and help bring that about. They have authority for a no fly zone and if its seen they are going beyond that Russia and China will make a big stink. The Arab League will start making alot of noise which will scare the hell out of Obama. They are already pushing the limits of the resolution and cracks are appearing in the people who supported it. The thing thats more important than Gaddafi's death is what happens in post Gaddafi Libya? Thats the one thing nobody has given any real thought to because these rebels are not like an army under a single leadership waiting to take charge and not everybody even wants democracy. This could well end up a tribal war and then what?

I have never read your columns before, but this changed today . Adding you to favorite columnists list.

America should mind its own f**king business, and stop meddling in other countries' internal conflicts. What has Ghaddafi done wrong? He is facing a rebellion, and the rebels are getting what they bargained for. A King has every right to quash a rebellion.

I'd like to know WHY is this America's responsibility!!!??? And if America is so inept, which is being done on purpose, get someone else. And while the author of this article is holding America up as incompetent, maybe he can use the Mossod's textbook blunder of a "hit operation" in Dubai as a perfect example of espionage!!!

OBAMA ... SHOULD WORRY ABOUT HIS OWN ISSUE'S THAT HIS HAVING IN THIS COUNTY,...

...how to run our country--much less providing us with a hit list of Israel's enemies which are, in its opinion, ripe for extermination.

islamists? al queda? the problem with the americans is that they never have a plan for "after". iran: they opened the door for islamists. thank u peanut farmer! iraq; they opened the door for al qaeda and islamists. JavaScript:%20save() where r u MACHIAVEL when we need u?

So Gaddafi should be assassinated. But you admit he can't be at this time. You talk about a "pattern" to American action, yet cite examples that don't support it. Bosnia didn't involve ground incursions, and neither Iraq nor Afghanistan was promised to be solely "surgical strikes." You mention "intellectual weakness," but give no defense for the statement. You say he could be tried at The Hague as an example to "other active Muslim dictators," yet last month used that as an argument AGAINST interference. You try to denigrate precision bombing of tanks and missile batteries as "spraying bullets," yet in your previous article you argue for arming rebels. Who are going to be, quite literally, spraying a lot of bullets. Just a suggestion, but perhaps you should spend more time reading the newspaper and less time trying to write for it.

Israel did not always kill their enemies. And if they did: Take Jassin from HAMAS- did it help? How about the predecessor of Nasralla from from HEZBOLLAH- Israel killed him and see what it got !!! I could continue the list. It is always the people who should take care of their own leader

You need to learn some history. How old are you?

Finally some sense. America ,and Hitlery Clinton should mind its own business.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

History shows us that any military interference in any muslim country is a waste of time, lives, money. They want the Western way of life but cling tenaciously to their 10th century ways. Israel who have occupied an muslim state since 1948 know that regardless of every promise by the Palestinians they will not ever observe their duty. They will swear by God they are telling the truth, but then when they swear to non-muslims it does not count. Leave them alone, let them kill each other. If they decide to export their terror let their Governments know which muslim city goes into the hat for annihilation. No troops, no tanks just boom. It worked with the Russians for 65 years.

Gaddafi is not a king. He is a cruel dictator and tyrant, responsible for some of the worst terror acts, responsible for running training camps for the terrorist for many years. How can you possibly ask "What has he done wrong?" It's not a question of 'a king has every right to quash a rebellion' (sound like some biblical saying, by the way) but rather that the opressed have every right to rise up against their opressor.

Talk about the need to follow your own advice, Yakir Elkariv. You, and your country have a rather pressing need to hunt down & off the leadership of various groups operating right on your own borders instead of eternally screwing around amid endless rocket and mortar salvoes. Tend to thy own affairs, you bloody, pompous hypocrite. Israel's long, useless years of messing around in Lebanon make it a dubious advisor when it comes to matters of intervention & method of approach in other countries. Hush, Elkariv.

so, Israeli do control US gov.? and how about other leaders advising the killing of israeli officials for all the unpunished crimes committed against Palestinians, including children? would it be acceptable and legal? International and humanitarian law applies with no discrimination.

Taking Gaddafi out will most probably save time, money, and lives, but if your advice is so good Yakir then why isn’t the Israeli government taking out the leaders of Israel’s sworn and active enemies? If Gaddafi survives he will be a thorn and danger to the West but you Israelis also have your own thorns to worry about.

This article doesnt explain why???? So Islamic extremists can take Libya over? I am no Gadaffi fan...but whats the alternative?

Quite a pretentious op-ed piece, since the episodes of Lebanon/2006 and Gaza/2009-2010 seem to indicate that Israeli PMs, confronted with similar realities, act just like current and past POTUSes: 'falling into the same traps time and again” and with a “response such crises follows a regular, fixed pattern: It always comes at great delay and is accompanied by a festive pledge that this time too we shall only see surgical aerial strikes, without ground incursions.” – just to see the whole world condemnig Israel for the so called ‘colateral damage’ and to watch Hezbollah and Hamas’ popularity and strength skyrocketing after the military campaign against them, their leaders untouched and their arsenals fully replenished.

What a horrible question? He has ordered the planting of a bomb Pan Am airline. He should died 200 times for that!!!!!

Don't you think Israel relies too much on the USA ? Why don't they do it themselves? what's matter no guts?

#3 don't forget that you are a traitor to the united states. did not the american colonies rise against their king, and win with french help. perhaps you think you are british, so move to a commonwealth country.

If the King of England was facing a rebellion, financed by foreigners, he too would use excessive force to defeat them. Why is Ghaddafi any different? Besides, my main point was that the U.S. should stop meddling in other countries' business. The founding fathers of the US were isolationists, and so am I.

That nonsense was sold to the gullible masses a few short weeks ago, to justify the looming military action. When will Americans turn down their propaganda stations (CNN, FOX etc.) and open their eyes to reality?

Yakir Elkariv wrote: "(American leaders not learning from past mistakes) is the reason why Israeli prime ministers are able to wrap US presidents around their little finger." That Israel has America wrapped around her "little finger," is a common refrain amongst Jew-haters worldwide. We heard this often about George. W. Bush and Ariel Sharon. Sharon had Bush wrapped around his little finger, even as Bush pressured Sharon to concede precious Jewish land.

Mmmm... How 'bout... Bombing his own civilians? Using mercenaries? Kidnapping, jailing, torturing and murdering his political adversaries? Not allowing any freedoms? Robbing his country of all its oil money? Training and supporting terrorist groups? Ordering the Pan Am bombing? "A King has every right to quash a rebellion"? I guess you could say the same thing about Pol Pot.

The King of England (you probably mean Queen of Britain today) has absolutely no military powers, aside for those silly-looking guards at the Buckingham palace. Oh, and those scary Beefeaters too, at the Tower of London. Of course, everybody knows the role of the British monarchy is merely symbolic. And there are no "rebellions" in Britain today. Britain is a de-facto democracy today, ruled by the Parliament and the Prime Minister at its head. And the British Prime Minister would most certainly not use the military against British citizens, with "excessive force". If the British people are not satisfied with their government, they can simply elect a new one, as people do in every Western democracy. In Libya though, this option does not exist, as the citizens have a ruthless, tyranical, thieving, murderous dictator over their heads. This is why they are rebelling. Kapish? Your main point about the US involvement may be valid, but the other point you tried to make about Ghaddafi's legitimacy and right to quash a rebellion - is absolutely idiotic. As was you calling him a "King"... Learn your facts before commenting nonsense, or you'd make yourself look ridiculous.

There are so many things wrong with this article. 1) No US president was ever wrapped around any Israeli prime minister's finger. Israel usually holds back due to US presidents' insistance. 2) Why should America enter Libya and not in Bahrain, Syria, etc.? 3) America is not under threat from Khadafi. 4) Who can be sure things will be better if Khadafi is killed? Either his sons and cohorts, or the opposition, would replace him. How is either an improvement worth risking American lives? The opposition may want democracy, but how will they bring it about without Al Quaida and the like getting a foothold?