The situation in libya

Today I watched a short segment on CNN about the rising conflict going on in the Northern African country of Libya. Due to the protest and subsequent resignation of the president in Egypt, uprisings have occurred and are spreading through Arab countries under an oppressive regime or into countries where the people are seeking civil rights and social justice. A prime example of this is Libya. The autocrat currently in power, Muammar Gaddafi, has been in ruling since 1969 and has committed numerous atrocities. Currently, there is an uprising in which civilians turned rebels are fighting government forces, hoping to overthrow Gaddafi and build a new government, one with the concerns of the people in mind. Gaddafi has now start a campaign of airstrikes on these people, effectively dropping munitions on his own people. A coalition of allied forces, consisting of France, the UK, the United States, Italy, and others, has committed fighters, bombers, strike aircraft, and submarine-launched cruise missiles to strike Libyan targets and prevent the massacre of Libyan civillians. The campaign has already been very effective, with many Libyan units taken out of the fight. The rebels are extremely thankful for the efforts of these nations. To wrap it up, I believe it is the duty of any free nation to fight for the rights of the oppressed, even though they may be 2000 miles away.