Cringe-making

I see that French President Sarkozy, the frog-kissed-by-a-beautiful-princess-who-remained-a-frog, has taken over the lead from Britain's Boy Wonder in agitating for military action to protect Franco-British interests freedom-loving people in Libya.

Since neither France nor Britain have the military capacity to impose a no-fly zone or even to maintain combat air patrols over the main rebel centres, this amounts to an insolent attempt to require the USA to do it for them. US Defence Secretary Gates has jeered at their "loose talk".

Meanwhile EU President Herman van Rompuy and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Catherine Ashton continue to make me proud to belong to such a vibrant and inspiring multinational force for good in the world.

The massed might of international bureaucrats is to be mobilized! Led by Yurrup! After all, it was so effective in Bosnia, where EUFOR stepped in only after every last ember of nasty war-fighting had been doused - so why not do it again?

Here's the vibrant and inspiring declaration made by the European Council in full (pdf). The most vibrant and inspiring section reads as follows:

The European Council expresses its deep concern about attacks against civilians, including from the air [clever, that: the rebels are civilians]. In order to protect the civilian population, Member States will examine all necessary options [oooh!], provided that there is a demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and support from the region [and from the three bears]. Those responsible will be held accountable and face grave consequences [thereby ensuring that they will stay and fight to the death]. We will work with the United Nations, the Arab League, the African Union and our international partners [coded reference to shhh - you know who-ess-ay] to respond to the crisis. We call for the rapid holding of a summit between the Arab League, the African Union and the European Union.

Yeah, that'll do it.