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This is an unfortunate incident. This is one of the risks of armed insurrection against the government. There is the risk that violence would be directed in a way that would dissuade moderates in the police and armed forces of the government from supporting the movement. When someone who worked for the government and then joins the opposition is unsafe, these moderates have an incentive to support the status quo.
Of course I have opposed the no fly zone. It seems to me that as a matter of principle, we should oppose humanitarian military intervention. The cost is great, and the prospects for improving things politically are really quite dismal.
That having been said, I'm not sure whether I actually improve matters by my opposition. It might well be that whatever move makes odds of Gaddafi being replaced further from even will be a step toward resolving the issue and restoring some semblance of peace. Since Gaddafi is given a 60% chance of being replaced before the year is out, it would seem that it would be easier to hurt his chances than to help them.
I think it sent the wrong message to dictators around the world when Pinochet was prosecuted for offenses he committed in Chile. I am not saying this out of any sympathy for the leader. On the contrary, I am sure that justice demands that he be punished. However, justice is not the only consideration. We also want to motivate dictators to retire. If our assurances to them prior to their leaving office are not credible, then these dictators are likely to use whatever violence they need in a last ditch effort to retain political power. Their survival will depend on it.
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