akenaton-

"If Col Gadaffi had attempted to do such a thing in Benghazi, his soldiers would have been blown to pieces by NATO air strikes."

I guess that is your way of gracefully conceding that NATO intervention was essential for saving lives? As I recall Gadhafi's soldiers had actually done several forays into Benghazi before the NATO air strikes rolled them back.

But I do agree that there is no guarantee that the government that emerges from the present civil war in Libya will be much of an improvement. But it's a start, a resetting in what I hope is a general trend toward more participatory government worldwide.

Charley Noble