Chilling reports coming out over Twitter and hinted at in reporting from AJE - the Libyan airforce will begin aerial bombing of the liberated city of Benghazi.
The time is now for action by the United States. Unlike in Egypt, where the military refused to follow Mubarak's orders to kill their fellow citizens, the Libyan armed forces have for the most part been willing to carry out Gaddafi's orders. The result has been brutal bloodshed unlike anything in recent memory in any Arab autocracy.
The case for action is clear. The USA must enforce an immediate no-fly zone over Libya.
The situation is evolving in real-time. Al Jazeera English has reported that:
Earlier, it was reported that a group fo Libyan Air Force officers had defected to Malta. It turns out that they were already on a mission to Benghazi and disengaged at 500 feet.
Reports suggest that Gaddafi's forces have already used heavy equipment and aircraft weapons against protestors. Al Arabiya sources say that bombing of Benghazi will commence tonight - or any minute, since we are half a day behind the Middle East, night is already falling there. And there are even some reports via Twitter sources that the Libyan navy is firing on shore targets.
Abu Aardvark (Marc Lynch) - made the case on twitter most concisely: "Horrific violence in Libya demands stronger international and US action -- different situation from Egypt, Tunisia, even Bahrain."
Lynch later tweeted , "Strong US/NATO/UN action against Libya now could prevent coming massacre and also restrain other Arab dictators from following suit." INDEED.