Rustlin’ up a no-fly zone posse

The impatient DO SOMETHING NOW crowd seems to think mounting no-fly zones in Libya is as simple as rounding up an Old West posse. “Mount up, boys. We gotta git that Qaddafi feller by sundown. Let’s ride!” Marine Gen. James Mattis, CENTCOM commander, provided a useful reality check today. He told lawmakers: “You would have to remove the air defense capability in order to establish a no-fly zone - so no illusions here - it would be a military operation, it wouldn’t simply be telling people not to fly airplanes.” Put another way, NFZ ops mean basically going into combat. It always amazes me how pundits can so eagerly shout, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends!" from the gallant confines of their comfy offices. They won’t be doing the flying and dying. So, it’s good to know that our real generals have not gone all King Henry V (or Texas Ranger) on us.