Attack helicopters zoom in to the breathless hagiography of the waiting press. In a spontaneous show of support, William Hague pops up in Benghazi, supporting the run-away militias that cling to life in eastern Libya. The whole country has entered a half-life: a political box where Schrodinger's Gaddafi is unable to confirm whether he is or he is not in power.
Two £40 million Apaches, launched from a ship off the Libyan coast, pounded ground defences in a devastating show of strength.
They fired laser-guided Hellfire missiles to destroy a radar installation to the west of the oil port of Braga, then blew up an anti-aircraft gun before their two-man crews returned safely, despite coming under enemy fire from AK47s.
Hague has declared the whatever they are of Benghazi, the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people. Except they aren't really, because the Libyan people are not really flocking to support anyone. So why shore up this faction? Morale boosting symbolism for the rag tag and bobtail jihadist remnants plus local tribes, or a flagging attempt to avoid the Libyans negotiating with each other.
We have an escalation strategy, not an exit strategy. And if an Apache is shot down....?
