FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Paris today, meeting with other foreign ministers from the G8 to discuss Libya strategy. She's also meeting with Libyan rebel leaders, the first time the United States has made contact with Moammar Gadhafi's opposition since violence erupted last month.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/03/14/art.libya.jpg caption="A Libyan anti-government protester takes part in an anti-Gadhafi demonstration."]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Paris today, meeting with other foreign ministers from the G8 to discuss Libya strategy. She's also meeting with Libyan rebel leaders, the first time the United States has made contact with Moammar Gadhafi's opposition since violence erupted last month.
But no course of action has been decided yet. Over the weekend, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone. France had done so last week. The White House has applauded the move. It was the topic of conversation at the United Nations today. Lots of talk, no action.
Meanwhile, Libya's civil war continues even as international attention to the rebels' cause has been diverted to the natural disaster in Japan. Various reports say the opposition forces are losing their grip on Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, and al Brega.
For the first time since the revolt began, the rebels did not allow reporters to accompany them out of fear news coverage could provide intelligence to government forces.
It's a sign of growing frustration on the part of the opposition. The rest of the world watches and talks and does nothing. Now Gadhafi's forces are gaining the upper hand.
Here’s my question to you: Is it becoming too late for the rest of the world to help the rebels in Libya?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Loren in Chicago, Illinois:
Yes. Everyone talks about the U.S. and its failures of judgment in its interventions, but here was an instance when the world could have stepped up to rid ourselves of a brutal dictator, and everyone blinked.
Chandler in Rockaway, New Jersey:
The Libyan loyalists obviously have enough firepower to defeat the untrained, disorganized rebels with or without a no-fly zone. The rebel leaders should publicly ask the Egyptian Army to intervene, with the goal of forging a democratic federation of Egypt, Libya and perhaps Tunisia. There is time for an Arab solution to an Arab problem.
Bob:
After all the huffing and puffing, it seems that the UN and the West will move only after TV shows 500,000 Libyans massacred and the streets soaked in blood. They could have paralyzed this thug's air force, communications and razed his military bases to rubble by now. There is no justification for continued statements. They mean nothing to those facing bombs.
Bobby:
Give the U.S. Navy 30 minutes to punch some holes in the military runways and a few shots to destroy the Gadhafi's helicopters. Then the playing field is leveled and the opposition has a chance.
Michael:
The Arab League wants a "no fly" zone in Libya and wants the UN Security Council to enforce it (that means us, the U.S.). How about this: if the Arab League wants it, let the UN Security Counsel charge the Arab League to enforce it? It's about time that Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, et al use all those F-18s and F-16s we've provided to them and Syria use all its Russian and Chinese planes to police their own neck of the woods.
Dave in Herndon, Virginia:
I don't know. It's a terrible situation but once again the world is waiting for the United States to intervene, and if we do then they'll immediately criticize us for it. Some days I feel like we should become the grouchy old guy in the neighborhood, keep to ourselves and put "keep off the grass" signs up everywhere.
Gerry:
I don't think it's too late, Jack. Do you? Let's talk about it for awhile.