French military intervention in Libya starting soon?

[Najar]

[Alexis]

[CgDs]

[skyhook77sfg]

SMALL WARS JOURNAL HAS POSTED STARTING LINEUP....



France:
—Deployed eight Rafale and four Mirage jets to survey rebel-held Benghazi; one fired on a Libyan military vehicle in first military strike of operation.
—Six C-135 refueling tankers
—1 AWACS surveillance plane
—Deploying the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region Sunday from Toulon.
—Also envisages using anti-air frigates Jean-Bart and Forbin, anti-submarine frigate Dupleix, the Aconit frigate and a refueling ship La Meuse.
Canada:
—Sent six F-18s to Italy base; 140 military personnel involved.
—Frigate HMCS Charlottetown is in Mediterranean for possible staging ground for Canadian forces.
United States:
—Prepared to launch missile attacks on Libyan air defenses but so far not participating in initial air missions.
—Has two guided-missile destroyers in the Mediterranean, the USS Barry and USS Stout, two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean.
—Witnesses reported five F-18s, two C-17s and a C-130 cargo plane arrived at U.S. air base at Aviano in northern Italy, which is home to the 31st Fighter Wing.
Denmark:
—Six F-16s arrived at U.S. air base in Sigonella, Sicily and could be deployed as early as Sunday; 132 support staff.
Italy:
—Offered use of seven military bases: U.S. air bases at Sigonella, Sicily and Aviano in northern Italy; Italian air bases in Amendola near Foggia, Decimomannu in Sardinia, Gioia del Colle near Bari, base on Sicilian island of Pantelleria, and the military airport of Trapani, Sicily.
—Proposed NATO base in Naples serve as coordination point for operation.
—Says it has four anti-radar and anti-missile Tornados and six other aircraft available to fly with 15 minutes notice.
—Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi off Sicily with eight aircraft aboard.
Spain:
—Sent four F-18s and a Boeing 707 refueling plane to Italy base.
—Deploying a submarine, naval frigate and a surveillance plane.
—Placed two bases at NATO's disposal, Rota and Moron de la Frontera, where several U.S. Air Force planes were seen Friday.
Britain:
—Said it would send Typhoon and Tornado jets to air bases, but no British fighter assets have yet been deployed, the Ministry of Defense said.
—Britain's air base in southern Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, supporting AWACS surveillance aircraft and has a team of personnel there to coordinate British aircraft movement.
—Two British frigates, HMS Westminster and HMS Cumberland, are in the Mediterranean off Libya's coast.
Norway:
—Offered six F-16s, with around 100 support staff, but operational capabilities five-six days off.
—Considering contributing an Orion maritime surveillance plane.

btw

scuttlebutt in the company area points out all 26 EU members endorse Qadaffhi neutering...

US may hand off not to NATO but EU terrified of Libyan refugee tsunami if Qadaffhi prevails.

sounds logical.. last thing EU wants is more indigestible immigrants.

[Mr. Perfect]

[skyhook77sfg]

Marine jets involved in Libya airstrikes

North Carolina-based Marine attack jets launched airstrikes against Libyan ground forces early Sunday, officials said in a news release.



The AV-8B Harriers, operating from the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge off the coast of North Africa, are assigned to Camp Lejeune’s 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The strikes, aimed at stemming the offensive launched against rebel forces by longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, also included French aircraft, according to reports.

“Protecting the innocent and conducting combined operations are what we are designed to do,” Col. Mark J. Desens, the MEU’s commanding officer, said in the news release. “Our forces are doing both as part of the U.S. commitment to protect Libyan citizens.”

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/20 ... es-032011/



PROTECTING THE INNOCENT

and letting the French lead the Euro Testicular Regeneration Program....

semper fi col.
SEMPER FI

[Alph]

[Mr. Perfect]

[CgDs]

[CgDs]

[Mr. Perfect]

Ooops! Looks like another "change".

[Azrael]

[Mr. Perfect]

Ha ha. The rebels had lost before we even did anything. A bitterly cruel assessment on your part.

[skyhook77sfg]

ON BEHALF OF THE LIBYAN PEOPLE....




RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirits, F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16CJ Fighting Falcons launched during the early hours of March 20 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which is centered on protecting Libyan citizens from any further harm from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Following the initial launch of Tomahawk missiles, three U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit aircraft from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., led strikes on a variety of strategic targets over Libya. U.S. fighter aircraft created airspace where no enemy forces could advance on Libyan opposition troops.

"It was a spectacular display of Airmenship watching this coalition come together the way it did to execute the first air strikes on behalf of the Libyan people," said Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward, Operation Odyssey Dawn Joint Force Air Component Commander. "Our bombers and fighters performed magnificently and we are fully behind protecting the innocent Libyan citizens while ensuring the safety of coalition aircraft."

Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorizes all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III.

(Courtesy of Joint Force Air Component Command Odyssey Dawn Public Affairs)



note:


protecting innocent Libyan citizens....

[cincinnatus]

I took some time today to get spun up on OOD (Op Perfect Porn Name). Most of us reading over my shoulder at the flow rates for the air task order all came to the same conclusions..."French and British carrying the load my ass..." The only way Hamm can say they're pulling over half the weight is by counting AWACS, tankers, escort and reconnaissance. Most of the things that go boom have been Americano.

[skyhook77sfg]

THEY CLAIM TO BE TRANSITIONING USG BOOM BOOMS TO BACK SEAT STARTING TOMORROW

check is in the mail?


BTW


Italy: Doing More than Playing Host for Libyan Operations


Italy is helping fill the gap in the suppression of enemy air defense role over Libya, with four SEAD Tornado ECR involved in the operation.

Despite restrictive rules of engagement to avoid hurting bystanders, Italian Gen. Biagio Abrate, the chief of the joint defense staff, confirms the Tornado’s are authorized to fire their HARM missions, not just in self-defense roles but also to suppress radars. The Tornado ECRs have the ability to more precisely target HARM missiles than some other aircraft capable of shooting the anti-radar weapon. The Tornado ECRs provide the only European capability to refine HARM targeting; Germany also operates the aircraft, but is refusing to participate.

The Tornado ECRs are being escorted by four Italy F-16 Block 15s for protection against air threats (although Libya has not had any aircraft flying since the commencement of military operations).

Italy also has cleared partners to base their assets at a variety of facilities, including Gioia del Colle and Amendola in Puglia, Aviano in north-eastern Italy, Trapani and Sigonella in Sicily, and Decimomannu in Sardinia. Other bases could be used as many additional allied aircraft are reaching Italy. The NATO CAOC in Poggio Renatico is also fully operational, with other C4I installations heavily involved

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?

[cincinnatus]

True on SEAD (Brits too). However, Q's boys aren't making them launch a reactive HARM shot (or BVR air-to-air for that matter).

[Alexis]

[cincinnatus]

[Mr. Perfect]

Oops!! Dead brown people! How do you tell them apart, right?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/2 ... 38733.html

[skyhook77sfg]

Murderers! War criminals Cameron, Obama and Sarkozy launch terrorist attack


The ink was still fresh on UN Resolution 1973, and the western (bought) media were already speaking about air strikes and how to help the rebels. Two mistakes here - firstly, that was not the scope of the document and secondly, why are President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron deliberately misquoting the words of Muammar Al-Qathafi?

NATO and terrorism are one and the same thing and the latest sickening display from this military wing of the oil lobby which gravitates around the White House makes it patently obvious that this evil force is endemically hell-bent upon a policy of violence to perpetrate greed. In Libya, NATO has got it monumentally wrong - again.

The ink was still fresh on UN Resolution 1973, and the western (bought) media were already speaking about air strikes and how to help the rebels. Two mistakes here - firstly, that was not the scope of the document and secondly, why are President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron deliberately misquoting the words of Muammar Al-Qathafi?

The Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya had not sworn to show no mercy to the people of Benghazi - he had given the "rebels" (armed groups of thugs) a window in which to lay down their arms and had said hat he would show no mercy to those launching this armed uprising. He was not speaking about massacring civilians in Benghazi - many of his supporters there have already been murdered by the "rebels".

Is it legal or acceptable in France, Britain or the United States of America to take up arms, torch buildings, massacre unarmed civilians (the "rebels" did this in Benghazi) and commit acts of terrorism? No, neither is it in Libya.

The fact that President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron deliberately twisted the words of the Libyan statesman, misquoting him and taking them entirely out of context does nothing to foster the notion that they are either reasonable, or balanced, or competent to perform their roles. What they have done is to join President Sarkozy in committing an act of terrorism against Libya as NATO strikes against Africa and turns its might against the Arab world. The Crusade has begun, Libya is but the first stage.


http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/column ... iminals-0/


PRAVDA !!!!

so this is where they get the sheet music

for the sky is falling chorus......

понять?

[Alexis]

[cincinnatus]

I wouldn't go the lack of imagination route. More like, "if it ain't broke..."

RE the back-story of who played who...wonder if Bob Woodward will ever be able to tell us...(who is the French version of Monsieur Woodward BTW?).

[Mr. Perfect]

Paul Wolfowitz, Skyhook on the same page:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/26 ... bert-costa

Wolfowitz disagreed. “What we have prevented, for one thing, is a bloodbath in Benghazi, which would have stained our reputation throughout the Arab world at a time when our reputation really matters,” he said. “I understand George’s hesitations. But it would seem to me, if you followed those hesitations, you would say, ‘It is better to keep this devil that we know than the unknown.’ And I don’t see how any unknown could be worse than the devil who is in Tripoli right now.”

“We have paid the price of intervention, sometimes we have paid the price of nonintervention, in Bosnia, for example,” Wolfowitz continued. “One of the things that makes this situation so unique is the monstrous quality of the Tripoli regime, the monstrous quality of Qaddafi and his sons.

Wolfowtiz/neocon/skyhook, beautiful relationships.

[Yukon Cornelius]