The U.N. passed the resolution to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, and France says that action against the Qaddafi regime is imminent.

Only hours after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorize military action, including airstrikes against Libyan tanks and heavy artillery and impose a no-flight zone to try to avert a rout of rebels by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. French officials said on Friday that military action would start “within a few hours” and news reports said British and French warplanes would spearhead the attack.

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François Baroin, a French government spokesman, told RTL radio that airstrikes would come “rapidly, within a few hours” following the United Nations resolution late Thursday authorizing “all necessary measures” to impose a no-flight zone.

But he insisted the military action “is not an occupation of Libyan territory.” Rather, it was designed to protect the Libyan people and “allow them to go all the way in their drive, which means bringing down the Qaddafi regime.”

So does this mean that we — the United States — are about to get involved in yet another war in the Middle East? It sure sounds like it; the last couple of times a lot of countries have all made noise about dealing with dictators but making us do the heavy lifting. What is the plan? How will we get in, how will we get out? How many lives are we willing to lose? And when/if Qaddafi is taken out, then what?