The Influence of Sea Power on the History of the Arab Spring

Some thoughts on the maritime aspects of the uprisings in North Africa:

Moving forward, naval forces may perform a larger role in the eventual outcome in Libya. Military intervention of some sort remains under active consideration by NATO and the U.N., with options spanning from a blockade to a no-fly zone to forcible entry in support of the rebels. Naval forces would be key to the execution of any of these options. The USS Enterprise and her battle group are currently in the Red Sea, preparing for deployment off Libya if necessary. Even if the West does not intervene, given the increasing possibility that the revolution in Libya will end in a bloody seizure of Tripoli by rebels, naval forces will be necessary to manage humanitarian relief, medical assistance and refugee control.