Curiously the need for US ground troops is more now than it was when loyalists first started their counterattack. Consider; rebels controlled the country at large with popular support and captured heavy weapons. Loyalist counterattacked with heavy assets, pushing them back across the desert and destroying or recapturing those heavy weapons while killing scores of rebel fighters. Now with their manpower depleted and their heavy weapons abandoned or destroyed, retaking the country is going to be a much more daunting challenge.
However, if the world community acted during the first days of the counter attack, loyalist tanks exposed in the desert during their offensive would have been popped like beer cans on a rifle range by attack aircraft. Once loyalist armor was destroyed or disorganized, the rebels could have finished off what was left in infantry fighting inside the cities. Rebels win the day, have some token gratitude to the international community, all airstrikes could have been made in the open desert on easily identified enemy tanks to minimize collateral and fratricide, and we bicker about evil western imperialism in Libya. Oh, and did I mention that guy in the ejection seat would be alive today, along with a few thousand other Libyans?
Needless to say I am disappointed. I think it is very unlikely US troops will be hitting the beach in a combat role, save in the most wild of hypotheticals, given our current level of dithering. The last time we were here was the Barbary Pirates, curiously enough. IIRC US troops didn't go to the 'eastern front' of North Africa. Could be wrong.
And yes, Clausewitz. What was the book that "tried" to refute him?