Two Modest Proposals

1) Death to Qadhafi
Spell it any way you want, Muammar's lifespan does not bear prolungation. It's time for him to meet his maker. He deserves death, no doubt about it.

The question is, how? American policy prohibits assassination as an officially-approved action. The CIA has been accused of sponsoring attempts on Castro's life in Cuba, and in return there is some suggestion that Oswald's successful assassination of John F. Kennedy followed...and there's the rub. All kings oppose regicide of all other kings, for very logical reasons.

Ghedafi, though, is a bit different, and there is a way to proceed. This is a man who is ordering airstrikes on his political opponents, who is bringing in foreign mercenaries to fire indiscriminately on his citizens. My recommendation is that one of the human rights agencies--one with balls, if such exist--should offer a reward of $1 million to the person or persons who knocks him off (and can prove it), in the interests of saving many more lives. The CIA has infinite slush funds, and one of their front organizations can make a semi-legitimate "charitable contribution" to the organization in their own sweet time. When Khadafi is knocked off, his sons should be given 24 hours to leave Libya, or else get the same treatment (the citizenry would likely do the job anyway, a la Mussolini or Ceaucescu). Also, the euthanists putting down this rabid dog should be guaranteed safety, or asylum, if they want it.

Barring the quick route, we are looking at a protracted civil battle; the insurgents have enough arms that Gadafi will not be able to re-impose rule over the country, and that is a very, very good thing. The up-and-up route involves the African Union meeting, deciding that Qadafi is endangering security in the continent due to the refugees, the chemical weapons, the genocide, and requesting assistance from the U.N. Security Council. Only then would there be a decent chance that Russia and China--nations opposed on principle to the idea that a government cannot do whatever it wants to its own people--might agree to let the U.N. do something like create a no-fly zone in the liberated east, or a blockade of Tripoli, or authorize Ghedafi's arrest.

2) Death to Khamenei
One of the few things that has given me reason to thank Wiki-Leaks is the report that Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei has terminal cancer. This is good to know, and gives all the world hope that, given the swelling of popular will for liberation in the region, there may yet be hope of ending the regime of clerical-sponsored kleptocracy in Iran.

The key is for Khamenei to disappear before a religious succession plan is put into place, and Khamenei probably has improved that plan's chances for success by suspecting everyone around him. I think we can take our chances with Ahmadinejad; once his religious cover is gone, his political foes will take care of him.

The route to success here is through Khamenei's doctors. All we ask is to relieve his pain, make sure there aren't any heroic efforts to keep prolong his life--no "Generalissimo Franco--still not dead" headlines. There are plenty of ways to reward the doctors who help make it happen.