What are We Doing with Those Ships Moving Toward Libya?

Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told me via e-mail last night:

We've seen marked changes in the administration's approach to Libya since U.S. citizens left Libya three days ago. From timidity, to direct calls for Qaddaffi's departure, to announcing that we would provide direct support to anti-government forces, and now the arrival of warships. This is a rapid escalation. I have serious doubts that this White House would deploy troops on Libyan soil. However, I do see this as a means to enforce a no-fly zone. It could also be a means to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid to areas that NGOs report have been near-impossible to reach. This is also a bit of psychological warfare, of course. The mere threat of US firepower will not be lost on Qaddaffi, who remembers the U.S. bombing raid on Libya, ordered by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, that killed his adopted daughter.

The full article is available here.