The day NATO stepped in, 19 March i believe, Gaddafi's army was shelling Benghazi and advancing into the city, and most people believe that the rebels were on the verge of defeat. However, the rebels had actually beat back the initial attack and forced the lead Gaddafi armoured column to withdraw from the city centre back to the eastern outskirts of Benghazi in the hours before the jets started their bombing.
With this in mind, if NATO chose not to intervene, could the Libyan rebels have actually pushed the Gaddafi forces back to Ajdabiya and Brega and establish a front line there after having exhausted Pro Gaddafi forces in urban warfare in Benghazi?
If the rebels staved off Pro G assaults on Benghazi and Ajdabiya and held Misrata and the Nafusa Mountains with the aid of Qatari weapons and training, could we have seen a months or even years long stalemate that would have led to the partition of Libya as part of a peace deal ? Gaddafi controlled west vs rebel controlled east that would become separate countries?
With this in mind, if NATO chose not to intervene, could the Libyan rebels have actually pushed the Gaddafi forces back to Ajdabiya and Brega and establish a front line there after having exhausted Pro Gaddafi forces in urban warfare in Benghazi?
If the rebels staved off Pro G assaults on Benghazi and Ajdabiya and held Misrata and the Nafusa Mountains with the aid of Qatari weapons and training, could we have seen a months or even years long stalemate that would have led to the partition of Libya as part of a peace deal ? Gaddafi controlled west vs rebel controlled east that would become separate countries?