Any hopes that South African President Jacob Zuma would be able to mediate a resolution to the Libyan civil war have apparently gone by the boards after his one-day visit. Zuma did meet with Moammar Gadhafi, and said that Gadhafi was ready to implement the African Union “roadmap” accompanying a cease-fire. But while that plan includes reforms, it does not call for Gadhafi to step down, and it’s unclear whether he would agree to that. Anyway, the AU roadmap is already a dead document, having been rejected by the opposition.

Republicans officially declare the Confederacy deserved a chance to win.

John McCain, giddy at finding a new war zone to put on his travel schedule, flew into Libya today, praising the rebel forces in Benghazi as heroes and encouraging them to finish the job.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced at a Pentagon briefing that President Obama has authorized the use of armed Predator drones over Libya. The unmanned planes have been used extensively in the Afghanistan and Pakistan missions, among other places. In fact, an amendment to the latest FAA Authorization bill, if passed by Congress, would allow for the use of drones in US airspace. So, why not Libya?

The situation in Misurata is bleak: hospital officials confirm 17 dead yesterday. As that continues, regardless of the UN effort you will hear the cries from residents of the need for more airstrikes or even ground troops. After all, the logic is exactly the same: the UN needed to prevent a massacre in Benghazi. Why not Misurata, the third-largest city in Libya, as well?

Witness the strange little war in Libya, where NATO is running out of weapons but the rebels are not.

NATO apparently is running out of precision bombs for use in their air campaign, which doesn’t inspire much confidence in NATO. We’re what, a month into this operation?

Hey, remember that Libyan war? Third simultaneous conflict? I know, spending on wars has nothing to do with the budget, so it’s been removed from the discussion lately. Anyway, NATO’s in charge now, and the US bugged out. They’re not even running bombing missions anymore! Except, as friend to FDL Spencer Ackerman points out, they are.

France and Britain are getting impatient with the NATO mission in Libya. I guess France now thinks, in the aftermath of their conquest in Ivory Coast, that they can snap their fingers and bring down a government. But Libya is a different animal altogether. What they’re asking for is unrealistic.

Three anniversaries and sadly several imminent funerals.

The situation in Ivory Coast has reached something of a nervous stalemate as well. Laurent Gbagbo is holed up in the presidential bunker (in Ivory Coast, I guess they need things like a presidential bunker). He has less than 1,000 troops loyal to him.