Reply #4: Not directly, but he did say it would benefit them in their quest. At that point,

[wisteria]

the rebels were gaining ground. Aren't the civilians in actuality the rebels? So, he wanted to assist the civilian rebels. And, Senator Kerry also suggested that the rebels would likely find the weapons they needed to assist them. Now, they are retreating as Qaddafi regains control. And, no one was pressing for war, Kerry refuted that suggestion as much on Face the Nation.


"(CBS News) The Obama Administration has been torn over whether to intervene in Libya as leader Muammar Qaddafi continues to violently suppress rebel forces. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., today said setting up a controversial no-fly zone over the country would not cross the line into military intervention.


"The last thing we want to think about is any kind of military intervention. And I don't consider the no-fly zone stepping over that line," Kerry said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.


"We don't want troops on the ground. don't want troops on the ground. That would be counterproductive," Kerry told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer. But he said that the U.S. ought to be prepared to set up a no-fly zone (although there would be no grounds to implement it until asked by U.S. allies)."

Schieffer noted that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been skeptical of a no-fly zone, saying it is harder to implement than one might think. " says basically that's going to war, because he says if you're going to have a no-fly zone, you've got to go in there and bomb their anti-aircraft installations there, that you're going to be bombing the country," Schieffer said.


"That's actually not the only option for what one could do," Kerry replied. "One could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time." He said a no-fly zone would not amount to war, or even military intervention."

Kerry also believes the spirit of reform and rebellion happening across the Arab region is in the strategic national interest of the U.S., especially in the fight against terrorism.


"If we have emerging democracies - people who come out who say to al Qaeda, 'Look, we didn't have one suicide bomber, we didn't have one violent, sort of explosive acts against the West or somebody to make a dramatic statement - we took matters into our own hands with respect to our own government and we have produced change.'


"I think if these countries do reform and they do give a greater voice to their people, and there is greater opportunity - economic opportunity - and people are enfranchised as a result, Bob - that is an enormous consequence to all of us with respect to relationships in the Mideast, to the War on Terror as we have known it and it might be defined in the future," Kerry said."

Now granted, my opinion is based mostly on this interview, but I read nothing in it to suggest that Senator Kerry was only more concerned about the civilian death tolls. As a matter of fact, while Kerry suggests that helping the rebels in their quest for democracy would be in the best interest of the US, it is McConnell who suggests otherwise. And, Senator Kerry states there are ways to go about a no fly zone, without getting further involved and getting in the middle of another war.

So, if you have something to reference that allude to Senator Kerry just suggesting a no fly zone to stop the killing of civilians, please provide a link. I would like to read it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/06/ftn/main20039797.shtml

edited to add link