Need a bestiary to tell the hawks from the doves? Then this article (£) in the Times should serve your purpose. It’s an account of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting on Libya, and the
differences of opinion that transpired. Michael Gove, we are told, was “messianic” in his call for a tougher stance against Gaddafi. William Hague, for his part, was considerably more
cautious. A graphic alongside the article puts George Osborne, Liam Fox and Andrew Mitchell in the Gove camp, and Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander with Hague. David Cameron, chairman of this diverse
board, is said to be “caught in the middle”.
The government has since denied that the Cabinet is split. And Gove has emphasised that, “when it comes to questions like Libya and foreign policy the Foreign Secretary is the expert”. Yet, it must be said, Nick Clegg’s speech in Brussels yesterday did little to dispel the idea that there are two very different hearts beating in government. The Lib Dem leader urged Europe to get involved in North Africa, but he meant it in terms of economic cooperation and development assistance. His only reference to military intervention was to quote Cameron: “you cannot impose democracy from 30,000 feet.”*
And this is where Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, steps in. He told a congressional panel yesterday that, “a no fly-zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defences.” Which is to say, maintaining a no-fly zone would require things to be dropped from 30,000 feet. It’s not quite clear that this is what the hawks are set on. (The Times article, for instance, suggests that, “[George Osborne] is cautious of advocating any solution involving cost to the Exchequer.”) But it is clearer that the doves are set against it.
*Although I think the PM had it at 40,000 feet.
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