A
aesop081
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57Chevy said:
The messages sent so far have been pretty clear, trust me.
Turmoil in Libya (2011) and post-Gaddafi blowback
- Thread starter willellis
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The messages sent so far have been pretty clear, trust me.
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Per CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/06/02/ns-hmcs-charlottetown-rockets.html
"Rockets fired at HMCS Charlottetown
A dozen rockets were fired at HMCS Charlottetown off the coast of Libya on Monday.
Officials on the vessel told CBC News on Thursday that 12 BM-21 rockets were fired in the direction of the Halifax-based ship.
None of the rockets hit the ship and there were no injuries."
"Rockets fired at HMCS Charlottetown
A dozen rockets were fired at HMCS Charlottetown off the coast of Libya on Monday.
Officials on the vessel told CBC News on Thursday that 12 BM-21 rockets were fired in the direction of the Halifax-based ship.
None of the rockets hit the ship and there were no injuries."
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Interesting....
I didn't know it was 12....
I didn't know it was 12....
Somebody may have checked Jane's before doing the press release for the number of tubes on a BM21 or whatever they figured it was. Or they counted the distant booms and the closer booms and divided by two. That's how we do it in the artillery intelligence world, not.NavyShooter said:
Sounds like the bad guys are getting desperate.
A
aesop081
Guest
Old Sweat said:
They were doing the same thing a month or so ago.
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"distant" .... ?????
Who said the boom/splashes were "distant"....
Don't believe everything in the media. LOL
Who said the boom/splashes were "distant"....
Don't believe everything in the media. LOL
old medic said:
NATO helicopters join Libya mission
Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times/June 5, 2011
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-helicopters-20110604,0,3673618.story
French and British helicopters attack targets around Port Brega, the first use of such aircraft in the NATO campaign. Rebel leaders hail the move, but it is unclear whether it will signal a new rebel offensive.
Reporting from Tripoli, Libya—
French and British attack helicopters hit targets in Libya in the first use of such aircraft as part of the NATO-led campaign against the government of Moammar Kadafi, authorities said Saturday.
The helicopters, including British Apaches firing Hellfire missiles and 30-millimeter cannon rounds, struck targets around Port Brega, a strategic oil port that is the easternmost city still under the control of Kadafi's forces. The targets hit included a radar installation and a military checkpoint, officials said.
The helicopters flew from British and French ships in the Mediterranean and returned to the vessels afterward, authorities said. No injuries to the crews or damage to the aircraft was reported.
"This successful engagement demonstrates the unique capabilities brought to bear by attack helicopters," said Canadian air force Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, NATO commander for the Libya mission.
Meanwhile, more explosions rocked Tripoli on Saturday, apparently the latest in a punishing series of NATO-led bombing raids on the Libyan capital. There was no immediate word on damage or injuries.
The deployment of attack helicopters in Libya after much debate could represent a significant escalation of the 3-month-old conflict that pits rebels against forces loyal to Kadafi, who has led the oil-rich nation for more than four decades. Rebels who first rose against Kadafi in February now control most of eastern Libya, while Kadafi remains in power in Tripoli and much of the west.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces are acting under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians from Kadafi's forces, a mission that has limited the mobility of his troops and in effect aided the rebels' cause.
Rebel leaders who have been pushing NATO to step up attacks hailed the helicopter deployment. Until the helicopter strikes, the Western-led alliance had deployed fast-flying jet fighters and drone aircraft and fired missiles from offshore vessels.
Although helicopters have indisputable strengths — they can get closer to targets than high-altitude jet fighters and hover over the battlefield — the aircraft are also more vulnerable to ground fire, including ground-to-air missiles. The fear that a helicopter with a foreign crew could be shot down is probably one reason why NATO, which says it has no troops on the ground, took so long to decide to deploy them.
It was unclear whether a limited number of helicopters will be decisive in the battle for Libya or will drive Kadafi from power, a stated goal of NATO powers. Rebels have made recent advances in the western mountains and in the western coastal city of Misurata, 120 miles east of Tripoli. But the major east-west front outside Port Brega has been static for several months. And Kadafi has declared that he will not leave.
Last week NATO said it was extending its mission in Libya for another 90 days, signaling that a military campaign initially expected to last weeks could drag on for months more.
Port Brega is an important oil refining and shipping center and lies along the strategic coastal road from Benghazi, the rebel stronghold, to Tripoli, which passes through Libya's major population centers.
Port Brega changed hands several times during the early days of the uprising against Kadafi. But the city wound up under government control while the next city to the east, Ajdabiya, about 50 miles away, remained in rebel hands. The front line separating the government and rebel armies is said to be about halfway between the two cities.
Whether the helicopter attacks signal the beginning of a long-anticipated rebel offensive toward Port Brega and the west remains to be seen.
Photo:
A British Apache attack helicopter takes off from the deck of the Royal Navy's HMS Ocean, which is deployed off the north African coast. British and French forces launched helicopter strikes against Moammar Kadafi's forces in Libya on Saturday. (British Ministry of Defense / EPA / June 4, 2011)
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NavyShooter said:
That's what happens when you don't get the paper on a timely basis ;DNavyShooter said:
Joking aside, though, if quoted correctly, that's what someone in a uniform (in this case, someone on the ship) told at least one media outlet:
Also, this from CEFCOM, again if properly quoted:
All that said, stay safe, folks!
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It's hard to look a PAO in the face and believe anything he says.
But, he said it, so it must be true and correct.
But, he said it, so it must be true and correct.
Shared with provisions of the Copyright Act
China steps into Libya crisis
5 June 2011
http://www.bfbs.com/news/navy/china-steps-libya-crisis-48259.html
China has made its first confirmed contact with Libyan rebels in the latest diplomatic setback for Muammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile France has said it is working with those close to the veteran ruler to persuade him to leave power.
The meeting in Qatar between a Chinese diplomat and the leader of the rebel National Transitional Council follows a spate of defections by high profile figures this week including top oil official and former prime minister Shukri Ghanem.
Libyan rebels and NATO have made Gaddafi's departure a condition for agreeing a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed thousands, but he emphatically told visiting South African President Jacob Zuma this week he would not leave Libya.
The NATO-led military alliance extended its mission to protect civilians in Libya for a further 90 days this week.
Chief of the Defence Staff Strategic Communication Officer Major General John Lorimer said on Friday: "NATO's Operation Unified Protector continues apace to protect Libyan civilians under threat of attack and enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973."
He said: "Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft yesterday (Thursday) patrolled over Yafran, where Colonel Gaddafi's forces continue to attack the peoples of the western highlands. Our aircraft identified a small formation of regime armour deployed in the area and destroyed two main battle tanks and two armoured personnel carriers with Paveway guided bombs."
China steps into Libya crisis
5 June 2011
http://www.bfbs.com/news/navy/china-steps-libya-crisis-48259.html
China has made its first confirmed contact with Libyan rebels in the latest diplomatic setback for Muammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile France has said it is working with those close to the veteran ruler to persuade him to leave power.
The meeting in Qatar between a Chinese diplomat and the leader of the rebel National Transitional Council follows a spate of defections by high profile figures this week including top oil official and former prime minister Shukri Ghanem.
Libyan rebels and NATO have made Gaddafi's departure a condition for agreeing a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed thousands, but he emphatically told visiting South African President Jacob Zuma this week he would not leave Libya.
The NATO-led military alliance extended its mission to protect civilians in Libya for a further 90 days this week.
Chief of the Defence Staff Strategic Communication Officer Major General John Lorimer said on Friday: "NATO's Operation Unified Protector continues apace to protect Libyan civilians under threat of attack and enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973."
He said: "Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft yesterday (Thursday) patrolled over Yafran, where Colonel Gaddafi's forces continue to attack the peoples of the western highlands. Our aircraft identified a small formation of regime armour deployed in the area and destroyed two main battle tanks and two armoured personnel carriers with Paveway guided bombs."
Rare daytime NATO airstrikes hit Libyan capital
Article Link
The Associated Press Tue. Jun. 7 2011 7:50 AM ET
TRIPOLI, Libya — Low-flying NATO military craft hit Tripoli at least a dozen times Tuesday in rare daytime strikes on the Libyan capital that were designed to step up pressure on Moammar Gadhafi to leave power.
The morning air raids shook the ground in a series of sharp explosions that thundered over the capital. Some of the strikes were believed to have targeted a military barracks near Gadhafi's sprawling central Tripoli compound, said spokesman Moussa Ibrahim. Others hit the compound itself, Libyan television reported. Pro-Gadhafi loyalists in the capital fired weapons into the air but after the NATO strikes had ended.
NATO officials have warned for days that they were increasing the scope and intensity of their two-month campaign to oust Gadhafi after more than 40 years in power. The alliance is assisting a four-month old rebel insurgency that has seized swaths of eastern Libya and pockets in the regime's stronghold in the west.
"Instead of talking to us, they are bombing us. They are going mad. They are losing their heads," said Ibrahim.
The spokesman said the daylight strikes were particularly terrifying because families were separated during the day. Libyan school children are taking final exams at the end of the school year.
More on link
Article Link
The Associated Press Tue. Jun. 7 2011 7:50 AM ET
TRIPOLI, Libya — Low-flying NATO military craft hit Tripoli at least a dozen times Tuesday in rare daytime strikes on the Libyan capital that were designed to step up pressure on Moammar Gadhafi to leave power.
The morning air raids shook the ground in a series of sharp explosions that thundered over the capital. Some of the strikes were believed to have targeted a military barracks near Gadhafi's sprawling central Tripoli compound, said spokesman Moussa Ibrahim. Others hit the compound itself, Libyan television reported. Pro-Gadhafi loyalists in the capital fired weapons into the air but after the NATO strikes had ended.
NATO officials have warned for days that they were increasing the scope and intensity of their two-month campaign to oust Gadhafi after more than 40 years in power. The alliance is assisting a four-month old rebel insurgency that has seized swaths of eastern Libya and pockets in the regime's stronghold in the west.
"Instead of talking to us, they are bombing us. They are going mad. They are losing their heads," said Ibrahim.
The spokesman said the daylight strikes were particularly terrifying because families were separated during the day. Libyan school children are taking final exams at the end of the school year.
More on link
- Reaction score
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Canadian directing war in Libya calls it ‘a knife-fight in a phone booth'
PAUL KORING ALLIED JOINT FORCES COMMAND, NAPLES, ITALY— From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jun. 13, 2011
Article Link
For the self-effacing helicopter pilot from Chicoutimi, the deputy commander’s office in the prestigious but hardly over-worked NATO’s regional command in Naples could have been a very pleasant last posting, a fitting swan song to a stellar 30-year-plus military career.
Exquisite Capri is close, the food is sublime, the living is easy and the Med is far from a hardship posting like Afghanistan or Haiti, nor is it the bureaucratic jungle of Ottawa.
Instead, Charles Bouchard, the Canadian three-star air force general, is running NATO’s trickiest war to date: 10,000-plus sorties, taking out Libyan tanks, fighting in alleyways with no boots on the ground while sending food and medicine to both sides and keeping the United States out of the uncomfortable limelight of commanding hostilities in a third Muslim nation.
It’s a war suddenly in the spotlight. In Ottawa, MPs want to know about mission creep: How a no-fly zone turned into daily, methodical destruction of most everything that props up the Libyan regime. Some countries are running out of bombs, sparking new U.S. accusations that NATO means Europeans playing mutual defence on the cheap while the United States pays the bills and bears the burdens.
More on link
PAUL KORING ALLIED JOINT FORCES COMMAND, NAPLES, ITALY— From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jun. 13, 2011
Article Link
For the self-effacing helicopter pilot from Chicoutimi, the deputy commander’s office in the prestigious but hardly over-worked NATO’s regional command in Naples could have been a very pleasant last posting, a fitting swan song to a stellar 30-year-plus military career.
Exquisite Capri is close, the food is sublime, the living is easy and the Med is far from a hardship posting like Afghanistan or Haiti, nor is it the bureaucratic jungle of Ottawa.
Instead, Charles Bouchard, the Canadian three-star air force general, is running NATO’s trickiest war to date: 10,000-plus sorties, taking out Libyan tanks, fighting in alleyways with no boots on the ground while sending food and medicine to both sides and keeping the United States out of the uncomfortable limelight of commanding hostilities in a third Muslim nation.
It’s a war suddenly in the spotlight. In Ottawa, MPs want to know about mission creep: How a no-fly zone turned into daily, methodical destruction of most everything that props up the Libyan regime. Some countries are running out of bombs, sparking new U.S. accusations that NATO means Europeans playing mutual defence on the cheap while the United States pays the bills and bears the burdens.
More on link
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Canada backs anti-Gadhafi rebels, pledges aid for Libyan rape victims
CAMPBELL CLARK
OTTAWA— The Canadian Press
14 June 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-backs-anti-gadhafi-rebels-pledges-aid-for-libyan-rape-victims/article2060025/
CAMPBELL CLARK
OTTAWA— The Canadian Press
14 June 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-backs-anti-gadhafi-rebels-pledges-aid-for-libyan-rape-victims/article2060025/
- Reaction score
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Stay calm now.... The latest from the Canadian Peace Alliance:
No word yet on the the Alliance's position on the Libyan government's approach to, um, win hearts and minds?
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Given our escalating involvement, how soon until we see a "boots on the ground" mission like an OMLET for the reble forces or a PRT to rebuild the devastated areas?
Sadly, we rushed in for poorly defined reasons, supporting a rebelion who's leaders and aims we still don't fully know on an open ended mission which really has more to do with the protection of British and French oil interests in the region.
I don't see this going well at all
Sadly, we rushed in for poorly defined reasons, supporting a rebelion who's leaders and aims we still don't fully know on an open ended mission which really has more to do with the protection of British and French oil interests in the region.
I don't see this going well at all
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