In recent years the Family Law system has taken the position that children are better off with their parents than anyone else under nearly all circumstances, no matter how awful. I'm not sure that I agree, but something of the same sort applies to foreign intervention in civil wars. If the people of Libya get rid of Gaddafi themselves, through their own efforts, they will recognise it as their own achievement and they will unite to carry it through and form a workable government afterwards. If regime change is imposed on them, they will split into pro- and anti-groups, connive and cheat to get the support of the occupying forces, extract as much money as they can, fail to take responsibility for their own future, and revert back in to civil war again as soon as the occupying forces give up and leave. It has happened too many times before in that region for anyone to have any doubt that it can happen again.

For our own sake now and Libya's sake in the future we should provide all the assistance we can: but the change has to come from within.

Saw Kevin Rudd on TV a minute ago when he said the people of Libya want Ghaddafi to go as do several others & leaders. May I suggest he send Julia Gillard & her hangers on over there to move Ghaddafi out ? Then & only then will I respect the man for speaking from experience.