U.S. Cools on Libya No-Fly Zone

Libyan rebels who requested Western assistance can dream on: That’s the message coming out of Washington now, as American leaders have cooled on the idea of a military intervention in Libya—even a no-fly zone. "Let's just call a spade a spade: A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Wednesday, while Clinton told two committees that the U.S. was not ready to commit to military action. Three Dutch marines took matters into their own hands, riding a helicopter from a Dutch naval ship into Libya in order to try to rescue two European nationals. However, they were captured by pro-Gaddafi forces and the Netherlands is negotiating for their release.