TB2.

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TB2 Turkish armed drone bites the dust. 

Thanks to Russian Internet media outlet Russian Times [RT] more on the latest news, the Second Libyan Civil War. See also most recent previous blog entry.

"Libyan forces claim to have shot down Turkish aircraft after Haftar declares 'jihad' on Ankara"

"The Libyan National Army (LNA) said it shot down a Turkish drone over Tripoli, shortly after its leader General Khalifa Haftar called for a holy war against Turkey for supporting a rival government. On Friday, the LNA said it had shot down a Turkish drone south of Tripoli, the seat of the Government of National Accord (GNA). One report identified it as a Bayraktar TB2 armed drone, downed after targeting a column of LNA vehicles."

Four-barrel Soviet era 12.7 mm AAA Dhuskha. This evidently is not the weapons system that shot down the Turkish armed drone. Russian Pantsir to blame for the shoot-down. Pantsir a much more sophisticated AAA system. Uses gunfire and missiles both, radar guided. Formidable.

From a tweet: 

 Babak Taghvaee: @BabakTaghvaee "#BREAKING: An hour ago, 2 #Turkish Bayraktar TB2 armed drones supporting Islamist militias of #GNA targeted a convoy of #Libya National Army on its way to #Tripoli at Mizda. 30 mins later one of them was shot-down by a Pantsir S1 SAM system of #LNA in south of #Mitiga airport!"

See further and perhaps even more important so the topic the Second Libyan Civil. Greatly resembles the situation in Syria. So many players and actors foreign and domestic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_National_Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Civil_War_(2014%E2%80%93present)

coolbert.

Murad.

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Fighting for a people they do not know, for a cause they do not understand?

Libyans, Turkmen, Turk, Syrian, Russian, Egyptian, United Arab Emirates. As in Syria, it becomes proxy forces and the backers of proxy forces that end up having the most concern in a conflict. Regional and global geopolitical considerations of the worst sort?

From the latest edition of the DEBKAfile news letter:

"Turkey is sending Syrian rebel force to fight Haftar in Libya"

28 December.

"Large contingents of two Syrian Turkmen rebel militias are being transferred to Libya by Turkish airlift and sealift to help the Tripoli government repel the assault on the capital by Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army [LNA] . . .The LNA has just broke through the government’s defense lines and is driving toward the center of Tripoli. It is backed by Russia, Egypt and the UAE. Sources in Syria and Turkey disclose that the rebel Syrian units heading for Libya are the Sultan Murad Brigade and the Faylaq al-Sham, most of whose fighters belong to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.  This is the first time that combatants from Syria’s civil war are participating in the conflict of a fellow Arab nation."

UP UNTO THE TIME JUST BEFORE THE GREAT WAR [WW1] LIBYA A PROVINCE AND POSSESSION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. THE TURK HAS A LONG MEMORY.

coolbert.

Mercenaries.

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Thanks to the intelligence newsletter web site Intelligence News we have the latest dope - - updates on the mercenaries currently fighting on the side of the Libyan despot Colonel Ghadaffi. The Colonel using outsiders to forestall the rebellion that imperils his regime - - his own military no longer reliable, many of who have joined the rebels! The use of such mercenaries surely a sign that the Colonel is feeling the heat in a big way.

By reputation from a special source the Intelligence News is reliable and can be counted upon for accurate information! "News" is a competitor of the DEBKAfile, the latter considered by the noted blogger Spengler to be "totally unreliable under all circumstances"!

And to the story:

"Hundreds of European mercenaries ‘fighting for Gaddafi’"

"Hundreds of European mercenaries, including large numbers of European Union citizens, have voluntarily enrolled in the armed forces of the Libyan government, and are fighting under the command of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi . . . up to 500 European soldiers-of-fortune have been hired by the Libyan government to provide 'special services'"

Soldiers of fortune to include almost all [if not exclusively] Europeans AND reputedly: "female snipers from Colombia"!

NOT the types of "mercenaries' as originally employed by the Colonel during the early stages of the rebellion. NOT black Africans [often teenagers] without ANY form or sort of military training whatsoever. This new "crop" of mercenaries evidently highly trained and possibly experienced military men fighting for the top dollar in a dubious cause!!

Against an untrained rabble, a few mercenaries using highly sophisticated and deadly military hardware can do a lot of damage!

Again, the cause these mercenaries fight for is dubious at best - - the attraction being the top dollar [the Colonel has a lot of top dollars to throw around]! The loyalties of such persons is also suspect. The right party or parties throwing MORE top dollars in the right direction and the tables can be turned on the Colonel in the proverbial heartbeat!

coolbert.

Return.

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"dispatch - - initiate contacts - - assess - - diplomatic dialogue."

At least on two occasions that have been made public, troops of the British Special Air Service [SAS] regiment have gone on missions to Libya. A response to the Libyan crisis, the Libyan insurrection and rebellion. One time in an apparent official capacity, active duty troops, the second time in an unofficial capacity, "The Circuit" as it is called at work.

Thanks in both cases to the British press here.

SAS! British special operations, ranger/commando, guerrilla fighters, unconventional warriors operating in an irregular manner. The SAS in these two instances returning to the Libyan desert after a hiatus of over seventy years, the "birthplace", hallowed ground so to speak!

SAS having both success and failure, hazardous duty in both cases.

1. "SAS veterans organised airlift of British oil workers from Libya"

"The daring SAS air mission that rescued 150 Brits from Libya on Saturday was launched by a small group of former troops."

Oil workers, Englishmen [and others?], in grave danger, at peril from "crazed armed gangs", plucked from the remote fastness of the Libyan desert, an airlift bringing a group of roustabouts to safety, an operation the success of which was in large measure to SAS "former" troops on the ground. Establishing an air strip, providing security and terminal guidance for the rescue aircraft.

"The vets, now private security guards in the Middle East, cleared landing strips in the Libyan desert then gave pilots the map locations."

"oil workers who were fearing deadly attacks from crazed armed gangs cruising the area."

Success!
2. "Hague: 'Blame Me For Bungled Libya Mission'"

"William Hague has said he takes "full ministerial responsibility" for a bungled diplomatic mission in Libya which led to SAS troopers and a 'junior diplomat' being captured by armed rebels."

SAS troops accompanying a "junior diplomat" on a fact-finding mission to make contact with the Libyan rebels, assess and report on the chaotic situation, try to make some sense of what is occurring! THE REBELS NOT BEING TOLD OF THIS MISSION IN ADVANCE, THE SOLDIERS AND DIPLOMAT TAKEN PRISONER - - THEN RELEASED!!

Failure!
This latter military operation, a "junior diplomat" entering a war zone to make contact with the rebels, going in "blind" so to speak, is the type of mission that is hazardous but necessary. Risk has been assumed and accepted, SAS troops always aware they are placing themselves in danger whenever they take the field, regardless of where or how!

Nobody ever said this was going to be easy!
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Rebellion.

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Here the latest intel dope regarding the civil war in Libya. Also a ramification from the revolt in Egypt that has hurt the Israeli very badly.

Thanks in this instance to the DEBKAfile.

[the noted blogger David P. Goldman "Spengler" says that DEBKAfile is totally unreliable under all circumstances, not to be trusted. YOU judge! ]

1. Libya. The situation as we know now is NOT going well for the rebels. The Colonel now is on the offensive, the initiative has gone to the despot, with bad results for the insurgents.

"Qaddafi troops regain Zawiyah, most oil towns. Obama names Libya intel panel"

"05 March. "the realization that field intelligence on both sides of the Libyan conflict was too scrappy to serve as a basis for decision-making."

"American military advisers and intelligence officers attached to the Benghazi-based rebels in the east often contradict each other and appear unclear about who is in command of the assorted militias in revolt against the Qaddafi regime."

American intelligence officers and advisers are on the scene in Libya, embedded with the rebels? DEBKAfile has made this assertion before. And no where in the media has this been reported. Presumably Special Forces [SF] types trying to assess the situation, bring order out of chaos, etc.

And this again, this rebellion does not seem to have a leader, was and is spontaneous, "goals" and motivation solely aimed at ousting the dictator, but NO plan to do so!

"Massive Qaddafi offensive east and west opens road to Cyrenaica"

"08 March: Qaddafi's commanders turned the tide of battle in their favor by the following tactic: At the start of the week, they concentrated around the key town of Sirte (Sidra) two armored battalions of T-72 tanks, three battalions of special forces, beefed up by an extra 3,000 tribal fighters flown in from the Sahara and a fleet of dozens of helicopter gunships."

Overwhelming force to be used overwhelmingly, without constraints. SHOOT! Disaster for the rebels.

2. Egypt. Supplies of Egyptian "gas" have been cut-off to Israel. "Gas" - - Israeli highly dependent on this fuel, 40 % of electricity generated by the Egyptian "gas" prior to the overthrow of Mubarak.

"Mubarak faces probe on gas sale to Israel, arrest warrants for Israeli, US partners"

"04 March. The flow of gas to Israel was suspended on Feb. 5 when Hamas blew up the pipeline running through Sinai during the Egyptian uprising . . . Egyptian gas fueled 40 percent of Israel's electricity requirements. In the meantime, world fuel prices have shot up and Israel has been forced to convert its power stations from gas to heavy fuel"

A pipeline blown up by Hamas, that pipeline not to be repaired until this corruption inquiry is completed, and that will take YEARS?

[it is not clear if this is "gas" as natural gas used to fuel power-station generators or the same petrol as used for running cars.]

The watchwords for the various leaders around the world today has to be crisis management and chaos! How true.

coolbert.

Libya!

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“The rebellion was not successful because

there was no sense of cohesive patriotism,”

. . . “No one knew what was happening..."

"NO ONE knew what was happening".

True during the time of the Sepoy Mutiny [1857] and true now!

The situation in Libya has taken a turn for the worse? The Colonel seems to have rallied his forces and is re-taking territory vital for his regime!

With all that means for the rebels, if and when the situation becomes catastrophic for them.

"Gadhafi forces score key victory against rebels"

"RAS LANOUF, Libya – Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have scored a significant victory, recapturing the closest city to the capital to have fallen in rebel hands. On another front near the opposition-held east, loyalists trying to stop anti-government fighters from advancing toward the capital pounded the rebels with air strikes and rockets."

The Libyan rebels now finding themselves in a dire situation? This remains to be seen. One thing is clear, as even those adherents to the rebel cause make clear, they have no leader, no plan, etc.

Very reminiscent of the Sepoy Mutiny - - 1857? Those soldiers in the employ of the British, a rebellion successful at Cawnpore, stymied at Lucknow, and then defeated by a concerted British military force, the Mutiny also leaderless, not having a plan, working in an unfocused manner.

"Echoes of a Distant War"

This rebellion in Libya was a spontaneous action, not thought out, developing in an incoherent manner, the rage against the Colonel being the one constant?

It was hoped by now the Colonel and his despotic regime would have been toppled. That is not the case and the future appears bleak! At least for now.

And the aftermath for the rebels will be indeed - - DIRE!

coolbert.

Deal?

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From the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune - - today:

"NATION & WORLD"

"BRITAIN"

"Report: Libyans trained"

"LONDON - - Some of Britain's' most elite soldiers have been training Libyan forces in counterterrorism, a newspaper said Saturday."

"The daily Telegraph said a contingent of four to 14 men from the Special Air Service, or SAS, was working with Col. Muammar Gaddafi's soldiers in Libya."

"The paper cited an unidentified SAS source as saying it was seen as part of the deal to release Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi."

Well, what else is there? Al-Megrahi is released over the protests of the U.S. The Scottish say it was strictly humanitarian, the release, then there are rumors of oil deals in the works, and NOW this?

I do recall several decades ago now, a number of renegade CIA officers and American Special Forces troopers allegedly trained the Libyans in guerrilla warfare and what can only be called terrorist techniques. When I say alleged, persons that were caught, such as Edwin Wilson, got max sentences of over fifty years in Marion, hard-core imprisonment.

NOW, the SAS of England, training the Libyans in counter-terrorism? What is this?

This SAS mission is part of much larger "package deal" worked out under the table with the "Colonel"? More is to follow, the likes of which will never even be apparent? [Ghaddafi at the time of the 1969 take-over in Libya was only of the rank of Captain, and the rank of Colonel was only a temporary position?]

I can well imagine too that any negotiations with Ghaddafi is like dealing with the ultimate rug salesman.

"I give you my special friend price. Three he-camels and two-she camels, one she-camel with kid, and in exchange you give me . . . !!" You fill in the blanks.

coolbert.

Civil?

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From the Chicago Tribune today:

"NATION & WORLD"

"IRELAND"

"British to back IRA victims"

"DUBLIN - - Britain's sudden decision to support a lawsuit against Libya by Irish Republican Army victims raised home Monday that thousands maimed or bereaved by IRA bombs might one day receive compensation."

"Libya admits it shipped hundreds of tons of weaponry to the IRA in the mid 1980's. Lawyers say they expect the regime of Col. Moammar Gadhafi to pay $16 million to each person."

Comments:

* "Hundreds of tons of weaponry"! Hundreds of tons is an exaggeration? I have seen reports in the newspapers that tons were probably shipped by the Libyans to the IRA. Including a lot of explosives. Nonetheless, that amount of equipment demonstrates a real commitment by the Libyans and the Colonel to create mayhem within Northern Ireland and England. That the Libyans were so willing to engage in contacts with and aid and abet the IRA to the extent that they did surprises many people?

* This is the novel approach that has been sparingly used by those seeking redress for those "maimed or bereaved" by the IRA [or any terrorist organization for that matter], and doing so by using civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecutions. The Libyans will have to be shown to have helped to "establish a climate" that led to the terrorist bombings of the IRA! And surely, supplying high explosives [Semtex] is "aiding and abetting", and "helping to establish a climate"!!

* That amount of $16 million each for "thousands" is A LOT by any standard! Exact number of "thousands" is not specified. Two thousand persons "maimed or bereaved" would amount to $32 billion total!

But collecting is a totally separate matter! Winning a settlement in civil court is one thing, collecting is an entirely separate affair.

And all this will be foreign to the Libyan? A concept, suit in civil court, alien to their culture and legal system? The Muslim concept of "blood money" applies here?

The chickens are coming home to roost??!!

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