I don’t think it’s at all clear yet that the Gadaffi regime is going down. Some military leaders have defected, but Libya’s military is not remotely well-organized and runs concurrently with several militias. It also appears that Gadaffi is leaning heavily on mercenaries.
I’ve seen reports that Gadaffi’s jets shot at protesters, but then later reports make it seem like they were only firing at arms depots. Also, some pilots have defected. So, it’s not entirely clear that foreigners establishing air superiority would (1) accomplish much to protect protesters, or (2) do more good than harm in terms of propaganda.
@mattbrowne, I agree with you, especially about partnering with Egypt or other Arab/African militaries… but recent history shows that Western-backed force can backfire so catastrophically, especially in regions with a recent history of brutal colonialism. It worked fairly well in Bosnia (which is in Europe) but Western force completely backfired in Mogadishu and, of course, Iraq. In theory, I totally support a world peacekeeping body tasked with reigning in despots and preventing political massacres and genocide, but until such a body exists and has legitimacy, I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.