Wednesday, March 9, 2011...9:11 am

Misleading headline of the day: Libya – it’s war!

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The Metro seems to think we’ve got another Iraq on our hands as the US and the UK prepare an invasion of Libya to liberate Libyan oil the Libyan people from a dictator that the West has been trying to make friends with recently.
No, wait. This is what is happening:

The prime minister and the president agreed to press forward with planning, including at Nato, on the full spectrum of possible responses, including surveillance, humanitarian assistance, enforcement of the arms embargo, and a no-fly zone.

That’s actually not quite the same thing. If they “agree to oust Gaddafi”, that means they “agree they will get rid of him. By whatever means necessary.”
Actually they are agreeing to try to help the Libyans themselves oust Gaddafi – you know, if they can sort out a response. Which may include a no-fly zone. Or not.
This is actually the high-level strategic military planning that’s happening here. David Cameron:

“I had a phone call with President Obama this afternoon.”

Not quite the same impact on a two-deck headline, though…

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