It is believed that several French civilian hostages are being held by militants in the area, making the situation even more delicate.

BBC: Mali campaign: French jets hit rebel bases near Kidal

An even more delicate question, raised by the rebels' poor military performance, is whether there would be any circumstance in which coalition (though not American) ground forces might go in.

ECONOMIST: The battle for Libya

And the paper industry can be even more delicate.

CNN: European slowdown hits Hong Kong's paper paupers