Thread: The Libyan Crisis

Libya stalemate feared as West slows airstrikes Libya stalemate feared as West slows airstrikes - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Heh...The Colonel's Fisting Days Are Over!

In my military days the Royal Armoured Corps had a similar motif. It was known as 'The Wanking Spanner'
Royal Armoured Corps

Is this going to turn into another drawn out conflict that takes years and years and years?

I think not if they can kill Gaddafi.

But they've already announced they won't target him.

This is scary.

They should have gone in with everything they had, got rid of the old regime, put the rebels in charge and then got out.

Now the Arab League is going soft, the Russians, Chinese, Germans, Brazilians and Indians will raise their index fingers and start lecturing.

This is what I hate about these endless campaigns. Once you've made the decision to change the government you have to single- mindedly do just that.

The rebels will be thankful and show their gratitude by increasing the daily oil production

Libya: US fighter jet crash lands in field near Benghazi
A US warplane has crash landed in a Libyan field in the area around Benghazi, The Telegraph can disclose.


Exclusive Telegraph pictures show locals inspecting an American F-15 E Strike Eagle jet that crashed in a field
By Rob Crilly, and Laura Roberts 10:32AM GMT 22 Mar 2011
The pilot of the F-15E fighter jet was rescued by rebel soldiers after ejecting from the aircraft, it is understood. Another crew member is also thought to have ejected and been recovered by US military forces.
The US military said it has launched an operation to recover the missing crew member.
The crashed plane was discovered by a Telegraph journalist reporting in and around Benghazi, the rebel-held city.
It is thought the F-15E fighter jet came to ground after suffering a mechanical failure.
The US military confirmed that one of its jets had crash landed but said that it had not been shot down. Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the U.S. military's Africa Command, said that one crewman had been recovered and one was "in process of recovery".

Both crew members suffered minor injuries.
Crawley said the crash occurred "overnight." He declined to give the location of the incident and also would not say how the rescued crewman was picked up.
This is the first coalition aircraft to have crash landed during the Libyan conflict following the third night of air strikes.
Libya: US fighter jet crash lands in field near Benghazi - Telegraph

Originally Posted by Pol the Pot

Is this going to turn into another drawn out conflict that takes years and years and years?

You've seen the light, PtP. Expect just that. If not outright armed conflict for some time to come, a "coalition" occupation and subsequent manipulation of internal Libyan affairs will certainly be in order. Is anyone seeing a pattern yet....??

I still think it's a load of bollicks just let the rag heads get on with it.

Am not saying Gaddafi is right or wrong but let the fuking arabs sort themselves out, now he will just turn back on the west and start funding the terrorist again.

I watched a video of him at the Arab league of nations and he talked a lot of senses about how Arabs are in bed with other countries who are not Arabs and how Arabs do not help each other

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Originally Posted by Pol the Pot

Is this going to turn into another drawn out conflict that takes years and years and years?

You've seen the light, PtP. Expect just that. If not outright armed conflict for some time to come, a "coalition" occupation and subsequent manipulation of internal Libyan affairs will certainly be in order. Is anyone seeing a pattern yet....??

Saw it coming,

Political question

How far are the coalition forces willing to go? They will have carefully drafted rules of engagement but the question is really political and not military.
One possible outcome is the defeat of Col Gaddafi's forces and their withdrawal from rebel-held cities, leading to a kind of uneasy stalemate.
In the shadow of coalition air power, Col Gaddafi would not be able to mount offensive operations of his own. But the rebels would not have the capacity to challenge his hold on much of the western part of the country.
This would not be an attractive outcome for Washington, London or Paris. In each of these capitals, leaders have insisted that Col Gaddafi must go.
"Libyans must be able to choose their own destiny," as French President Nicolas Sarkozy put it.

Libyan state television reported that the capital was "under crusader enemy aerial bombardment" and that several sites had been attacked.
The Libyan authorities said a naval base at Bussetta, about 10km (six miles) east of Tripoli, and a fishing village had also been hit.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Monday's air and missile strikes had caused "numerous" civilian casualties, especially at the "civilian airport" in Sirte.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday that coalition forces were "going to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties".
Mr Gates, after talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov, added: "I also told him that I thought the significant military fighting that has been going on should recede in the next few days."
Russia, which abstained in last week's UN Security Council vote on the resolution authorising force in Libya, has since criticised the air strikes.

the coalition needs to bomb a few hospitals and orphanage to make it all look good again,

Foreign ministry voices cautious support for un resolutions on libya

By Piyanart Srivalo,
Nuntida Puangthong
The Nation
Published on March 23, 2011

The Cabinet was reluctant to make a decision yesterday on whether to fully comply with the United Nations' resolution on Libya as many ministers expressed concern about the sensitiv ity of the situation and the impact on Thai national interest, a government source said.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterday regarding Resolutions 1970 and 1973 (2011) saying that Thailand, as a member state of the United Nations, would comply with "the relevant provisions" contained therein.

But support was measured.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya briefed his colleagues yesterday, saying the UN Security Council had adopted Resolution 1970 last month to impose sanctions on Libya. This asked member countries not to supply weapons to Libya, to freeze the assets of Libyan leaders and ban travel by Libyan leaders to member countries.

Many ministers, such as Tourism and Sport Minister Chumpol Silapa-acha, cautioned that any stance taken by the Thai government might affect national interest. A move against Libya could affect the situation in the restive South, Chumpol was quoted as saying by a source in the Cabinet.

Labour Minister Chalermchai Srion said the government should be well aware that many Thai workers were still in Libya. Thousands had expressed a desire to return to work in the country after the situation, he said.

Kasit eventually concluded that the government didn't need to make a quick decision on the UN resolution since the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) had yet to take a stance on the resolution.

Asean could consider the situation in Libya and the UN resolution in a meeting later this month, Kasit said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva later told Kasit to listen to Asean first and report back to the Cabinet after that.

The PM told reporters that ministers had deferred making a decision on the UN resolution as it needed to carefully weigh the consequences. Cabinet had asked related agencies to analyse the situation and propose options on how to comply with the resolution, he said.

Some 80 Thai workers had expressed a desire to stay in Libya despite of the attack by Western nations on pro-Gadhafi forces, Abhisit said.

The Foreign Ministry statement said Thailand urged all parties concerned to ensure the safety of civilians, both Libyans and foreign nationals, in Libya and stressed the need for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access and delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected population.

^
All valid reasons for not saying much. Not mentioned was the potential for prompting more unwelcome comparisons with what went on in Bangkok last year.

Five planes, a camel, a tent and 30 female virgin bodyguards

Originally Posted by Butterfly

the coalition needs to bomb a few hospitals and orphanage to make it all look good again,

According to Libya, they already have.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

the coalition needs to bomb a few hospitals and orphanage to make it all look good again,

Yes, insure their image and reputation as the real terrorists that they are and have procured for some time now. If not overtly, certainly covertly.

Originally Posted by FarangRed

Five planes, a camel, a tent and 30 female virgin bodyguards

And a partridge in a pear tree!

He raps a good tune tho'

Libyan casualties after US jet crashes outside Benghazi - Channel 4 News

Tuesday 22 March 2011

The first confirmed casualties of allied operations in Libya occured after a US F-15 fighter crashed outside Benghazi, injuring six Libyans, reports Lindsey Hilsum.

Channel 4 News International Editor, Lindsey Hilsum, says that the villagers were shot when a US helicopter picked up the pilot who had ejected from the F-15E Eagle plane after it experienced a mechanical failure.

The US aircraft crashed on Monday night and was been found in a field outside Benghazi and landed in rebel-held territory.

The local Libyans who were injured in the rescue mission are currently in hospital. They are the first confirmed casualities of allied operations, almost days after operations began. At the time of writing, no one died as a result of the gunfire.

Guaging the reaction of locals in the area, Lindsey Hilsum said: "the local Libyans do not seem resentful, they still the coalition forces to keep operating."

Both crew members ejected and have now been flown out of Libya by US personell, according to a US military spokesman.

He said the crash was "not due to enemy or hostile actions."

The pilot and a weapons officer were aboard the fighter jet, having set off from from Aviano Air Base in Italy. On experiencing the mechanical difficulties, both pilots ejected safely, but suffered minor injuries.

The pilot was rescued by the US helicopter soon after crash landing and opposition rebels recovered the weapons officer, taking "took good care of him" before coalition forces picked him up some time later.

^

Originally Posted by SteveCM

The first confirmed casualties of allied operations in Libya occured after a US F-15 fighter crashed outside Benghazi, injuring six Libyans, reports Lindsey Hilsum.

Not sure about these being the "first confirmed casualties" - what was left of the armoured unit attacked by the French looked pretty dead to me.....

^

Libyans examine the site where a US fighter jet crashed on Monday. Both crew members ejected safely [Reuters]

All sense is lost and the propaganda pushes forward full steam. You know, I just watched the UK Min of Defence (live) briefing - Maj Gen Whatsit could have replaced the words Gaddafi's forces with Saddam's forces, and one could have switched the tapes without anyone ever noticing ten years from now.