Rebels fighting Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's troops are faring badly on the battlefield. They are pleading with NATO to give them more military assistance.
French and British officials, whose countries absorbed the bulk of NATO duties in Libya once the United States began scaling back its operations, are echoing the call. Other NATO countries - including the United States - need to provide more help to the rebels, they say.
Indeed, some NATO countries are providing minimal assistance - if any. Several, including Germany, refused to commit to the Libya intervention. Others, including some such as Italy that rely on Libya for much of their natural gas and oil, have not matched the level of their self-interests with equivalent military involvement.
At one point early in the war, the United States provided as many warplanes over Libya as all other NATO countries combined.
As we have stated previously, if nations such as Britain that have supported us staunchly in Afghanistan and Iraq seek more of our help in Libya, it should be provided.
Otherwise, however, NATO's European members should bear more of the burden in overthrowing Gadhafi.