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Africa North
Jets pound civilian targets in Tripoli
2011-03-20
[Iran Press TV] Foreign fighter jets have bombarded civilian targets in Libya as world powers agreed to use military force in the crisis-hit North African country.

Libyan state television has released a video footage of "an aerial attack" launched by Western planes against civilian structures in the capital city of Tripoli, Rooters said on Saturday.

The Arclight airstrike comes as world leaders in Gay Paree on Saturday ordered a large-scale military intervention into Libya in order to end assaults launched by ruler Muammar Qadaffy's forces on civilians.

There have been reports that French warplanes have begun firing on Libyan government troops in the eastern city of Benghazi, which is the stronghold of anti-government forces.

The French intervention came after forces loyal to the 68-yrera-old Libyan ruler closed in on revolutionaries in eastern Libya despite a ceasefire declared by Qadaffy on Friday.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wreckage...
 a US warship fired cruise missiles into Libya on Saturday. The missiles reportedly struck pro-government forces.

Speaking to news hounds in Brazil, US President Barack B.O. Obama said Washington is united with its international partners on the need to take action.

"Our consensus was strong and our resolve is clear. The people of Libya must be protected, and in the absence of an immediate end to the violence against civilians, our coalition is prepared to act and act with urgency," he said.

Libyan anti-government forces, inspired by revolutions that toppled authoritarian rulers in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, are fighting to unseat Qadaffy after more than 41 years of despotic rule.
Posted by:Fred

#13  From everything open source that I have read lately, Khadaffy has 60-70 functional fighter/bombers available at any one time. About 1/3 of his pilots are Serbian/Ukrainian/Russian, 1/3 are other Arabs like Syrians, and 1/3 are actual Libyans. His major threat to a NFZ is his integrated air defenses that includes several good Russian missile systems and radars. That is what is getting hit by the cruise missiles, to lessen their effectiveness. Oh, I am listening Hot N' Cold by Katy Perry in honor of the Arab League right now. "You change your mind like a girl changes clothes" describes the Arab League to a T.
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2011-03-20 22:36  

#12  Again, Dribble does make some sense. Real kings or presidents do not have friends, except those that can be counted on the fingers of half of one hand. Everyone else are pawns and cat's paws. And yes, you air kiss kiss, right up to the moment you go machiavellian on their asses. Thats real stuff.
Posted by: Fi   2011-03-20 21:59  

#11  Appreciate it, OP, answering Dribble's drivel with well-thought out facts.

Rantburg U!
Posted by: Bobby   2011-03-20 21:51  

#10  That was positively pretty, Old Patriot!
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-03-20 20:09  

#9  I stand corrected :)
Posted by: newc   2011-03-20 15:18  

#8  Word, OP.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2011-03-20 14:03  

#7  How many fighter jets does KaDaffy HAVE?
Between 550 and 700, including Mig 23s, Mig 25s, Mig 29s, Mirage F-1s, and a bunch of older craft. The only bombers he's KNOWN to have are a squadron of Ilyushin "Badger" aircraft, none of which are considered flyable.
Estimates on how many are in the shop at any given time for maintenance?
About 60-70 percent of the fleet.
How many effectives? Who are the pilots.
IIRC, most of the pilots are all mercenaries -- primarily Syrians, probably with a few dozen other nations represented here and there.
Intell should be able to give us their names and addresses and their suit measurements or I want Intell on the rug.
I spent 26 years in imagery intelligence. Old Spook, Fred, and probably a half-dozen other regulars have similar backgrounds. Most of us were lower ranks -- no generals, very, very few colonels, mostly NCOs. We probably have more information than you could possibly believe on Libya, but if the guys at the top don't trust the information (and 95% of them in THIS administration don't), it means nothing.
We have had YEARS to get this Intell. That is what Intell does if you have a competent one. Of course, they COULD be mowing their lawn in Fairfax, yeah? Intell should be FULL of nasty bastids and prostitute handlers and Judas in a suit and run by a dope dealer and an ass rascal. And paid well and watched.
Intel means gathering every ounce of information you can find about your enemies, collating and assembling it, winnowing out the chaff, coordinating YOUR information with other sources to build a bigger picture, and then keep working on it. It's never "done" -- it's always a work in progress. It means looking at the same airfield 200-300 times, hoping to spot the one change that allows you to add an additional piece of information to the pile -- possibly a change of command, a new aircraft being introduced, a loss of faith in the unit, or who knows what else. It's painstaking, frequently boring, and ridiculously repetitive. And NECESSARY. Don't whine about Intel until you've spent two or three years in the trenches, and can see the constant battle with the non-Intel higher-ups.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2011-03-20 13:32  

#6  "How many fighter jets does KaDaffy HAVE? Estimates on how many are in the shop at any given time for maintenance? How many effectives? Who are the pilots....Intell should be able to give us their names and addresses and their suit measurements or I want Intell on the rug. We have had YEARS to get this Intell. That is what Intell does if you have a competent one. Of course, they COULD be mowing their lawn in Fairfax, yeah? Intell should be FULL of nasty bastids and prostitute handlers and Judas in a suit and run by a dope dealer and an ass rascal. And paid well and watched"

His air force is comprised of old and aging MIG's - total number rounding in 300. It may look impressive on paper, but I doubt he has more than 60 planes he could actually use being not in rebel territory. Out of which, he has less pilots. Rumors stated that some of the pilots were from Syria. His support is out of Syria. They did not maintain their military, it is rag tag and poorly disciplined.

Suit measurements are useless, people do not live long enough in that part of the world to care for the measures.

Where as the nasty bastids are concerned, thats what the KGB is for. Or shall I say the Cheka?
Posted by: newc   2011-03-20 13:25  

#5  This war hasn't gotten rolling unless there are reports of our hitting the "baby milk factory."
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-03-20 10:41  

#4  Nice picture of Achmed and a product from the frozen baby truck.

That's Green Helmet Guy, a Moslem institution.
Posted by: Fred   2011-03-20 10:04  

#3  Libyan TV was always my favorite. The vids on the Internet and Drudge yesterday show Libyan air Mig29's coming down like flaming rocks. I assume the French were flying Mirages or something. Nice picture of Achmed and a product from the frozen baby truck.

You can always depend on Moslem media to just mention the 3 year old in the casualty list. Its traditional. Not that Moslem babies dont get killed, I expect they do. But then it happens in THEIR yard, not ours. In a war its always better for them to have it happen in THEIR yard. That's the name of the game.
You keep the turbaned buggers OUT of your yard. That's called winning. If it happens in YOUR yard someone isnt doing their job.

How many fighter jets does KaDaffy HAVE? Estimates on how many are in the shop at any given time for maintenance? How many effectives? Who are the pilots....Intell should be able to give us their names and addresses and their suit measurements or I want Intell on the rug. We have had YEARS to get this Intell. That is what Intell does if you have a competent one. Of course, they COULD be mowing their lawn in Fairfax, yeah? Intell should be FULL of nasty bastids and prostitute handlers and Judas in a suit and run by a dope dealer and an ass rascal. And paid well and watched.

Obama has a job. The job is called looking after US interests and PROTECTING the United States. That means, (among other things) having an entire stadium full of Colonels and Generals STAND UP (and cheer) when you enter the room.
And it means watching your Intell assets like a beady hawk and there are no rules in how you get results from them. You dont trust anyone, kings have no friends. You hand out medals and reward the people who get results, and you send other people to Rio, you dont go yourself.
You speak softly, smile at the camera, keep your own counsel, and are a ruthless SOB who shakes everybody's hand.

If you have a single friend in the world its probably a platoon leader with a family. You know your Divisional Commanders by their first name. And you remember your job.
Posted by: Dribble2716   2011-03-20 07:56  

#2  Yes, and APCs for the local neighborhood watch!
Posted by: Dar   2011-03-20 01:48  

#1  Ah... so those were civilian SAM sites and armored vehicles. Mmkay.
Posted by: OldSpook   2011-03-20 00:16  

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