EU to put boots on the ground in Libya?

As the US is pulling away from Libya, the EU seems to be getting in.

The European Council on Friday approved the decision to mount an EU military operation to support humanitarian efforts in Libya, if asked to do so by the United Nations.

“The EU will, if requested by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), conduct a military operation in…order to support humanitarian assistance in the region,” the council statement read.

“The aim of the operation would be to contribute to the safe movement and evacuation of displaced persons and to support the humanitarian agencies in their activities with specific capabilities,” it said.

If I’m reading that right, the EU’s mission is half Dunkirk, half Peace Corps. It also appears to be a sign that Gaddafi will get to hang around a while longer.