Allied assault - The prize is black gold, not peace

MORALLY speaking, it is beyond question that the assault by allied forces on Libya is a just cause.

From a humanitarian perspective, no civilised organisation or country could stand idly by in light of the chilling threat from Muammar Gaddafi that citizens opposed to his monstrous regime would be crushed without mercy.

Going on his track record, the spectre of a bloody massacre was looming over the city of Benghazi. The predicament of a rebel government, poorly equipped and consisting largely of intellectuals, was extremely precarious when the allies finally launched Saturday night’s missile strike aimed at disabling Gaddafi’s air defences and targeting Libyan ground forces.