Mission Creep in Libya and Tory Decision-Making

The Harper government skipped any vote in Parliament on decision to commit Canadian Forces to the military intervention in Libya. It was said that the other parties supported the decision, and in any event, who wouldn't support a U.N. sanctioned humanitarian intervention aimed at preventing the massacre of civilians? It was, after all, justified on the basis of the new international principle, the Responsibility to Protect, which Canada played a large role in developing.

Now, however, the pressure is mounting on NATO allies to rachet up the air strikes, and to target the military hardware of the Qaddafi forces in an effort to break the stalemate developing in Libya. Foreign Minister Lawrnece Cannon is leaving the campaign trail to attend a couple of major meetings to discuss the way forward. France and the U.K. in particular are calling for NATO forces to strike Qaddafi miligary targets for the purpose of aiding the rebels and breaking the deadlock. Even the U.S. has suggested that Qaddafi's departure is a pre-condition to any peace agreement.