LIBYA

OK it's apparent now what happened with the SAS men - it was what it seemed it was - they were on a PSD mission, escorting a member of the Foreign Office attempting to reach out to the rebel presence in Benghazi. Their arrival by helicopter spooked the rebels and the rest is history. As of time of writing this, I haven't heard of their fate, although The Telegraph seems to indicate they've been released.

Rebel fighters take cover as a bomb dropped by a Libyan air force fighter jet explodes near a checkpoint on the outskirts of the rebel-held oil terminal town of Ras Lanuf 600 km (400 miles) east of the capital Tripoli.


As the Libyan situation continues to careen out of control, the big question is what we are we actually seeing take place in these popular uprisings throughout the Arab world?

Celebratory gunfire or a desperate attempt at AA during the air strike on the eastern outskirts of Ras Lanuf 600 km (400 miles).


Will what's taking place lead to Democracy breaking out all over the region?

An aircraft rocket attack took place at one of two checkpoints in the city; there were no deaths.


My take on it is that this is a genuine people's uprising, but that one of two outcomes will take place; A) Depending on which country we're talking about, the government forced out of power will be replaced by a new military junta or dictator (as in Egypt), or B) the people's movement will be co-opted by Islamist forces such as the Muslim Brotherhood or al Qaeda, or C) a combination of both A) and B) where the struggle continues against the successor government - which may or may not be making legitimate attempts toward Democratic reform - but the Islamist forces successfully coerce the mob to continue the revolution against the status quo, resulting in the establishment of an Islamic theocracy a la Iran.


No worries, America; according to OUR regime's National Intelligence Director James Clapper, the Muslim Brotherhood is a “secular” organization . . . a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam.”

The CIA’s own website lists the Brotherhood as a “religious-based” party.

And this years Winner for Most Awesome Cool Guy Combat Pose in a Tactical Air Strike goes to Mohammed the Libyan Rebel Fighter . . .



For today's STORMBRINGER BIRD click HERE


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LIBYA UNREST: SAS MEN "ARRESTED NEAR BENGHAZI"

Libyan rebels near Benghazi

From the BBC
6 March 2011

Details of a UK operation to rebel-held Benghazi in Libya in which eight men - six reportedly SAS - were arrested, have been disclosed to the BBC.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said a small diplomatic team was in Benghazi and "they were in touch with them".

The BBC's Jon Leyne said witnesses saw six men in black overalls land in a helicopter near the city early on Friday and they were met by two others.

They were later arrested when it was discovered they were carrying weapons.

According to an earlier report in the Sunday Times the unit was trying to put UK diplomats in touch with rebels trying to topple the Gaddafi regime.

In a statement, the MoD said: "We neither confirm nor deny the story and we do not comment on the Special Forces.

Read the rest of it HERE

A Libyan rebel talking on a handheld radio walks past a burned out truck mounting twin 23mm anti-aircraft guns.

It seems these guys are involved in exactly the kind of work I used to do; I saw the Ivory Coast go from a relatively stable, prosperous nation into civil war - I even trained the guys who kicked the thing off - it started as a pay mutiny, quickly became a failed coup attempt and ultimately evolved into a full-blown civil war. I later encountered those same guys on the battlefield; this time they were the rebels, on the opposite side, and I was getting our civilians out.

A T-62 tank of the Libyan rebel forces moves toward the front.


Mind you, I don't think any of the countries I went into on these kind of missions were quite at this level of anarchy. These guys got rolled up - which does not mean they were sloppy; it's hard for a European NOT to stand out on the African continent - it indicates the degree of chaos that exists in Libya. Question: if Benghazi is in rebel hands, then who's holding these guys?

Libyan rebels with a truck-mounted 23mm anti-aircraft cannon.


We've arrived at a precarious point in Libya, and if we play this thing right, everybody stands to benefit. The Libyan people's street protests for freedom & democratic reform have obviously evolved into a bona fide popular uprising against ruthless, bloodthirsty dictatorship. Gadaffi has never been a friend of the West and he needs to go before he takes what's left of the country down with him. Our leadership needs to realize that we're at the point where direct military support in the form of arms, ammunition and advisers is what we need to do to sort things out in Libya.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . SEAN LINNANE SENDS




Today's Birds HERE



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AUSTRALIAN DOORKICKERS

These are my Brothers in Arms:







Wednesday Wench HERE


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BRITISH SAS TAKES THE GWOT SERIOUSLY

HELICOPTERS READY TO CARRY SAS TO CRUSH ANY CHRISTMAS TERROR ATTACK

The Sun 22 Dec 2010

Helicopters are waiting on the SAS's football pitch - ready to carry crack troops to crush any Christmas terror attack.

Chinooks and Pumas were moved to the elite unit's Hereford HQ when fears of a Mumbai-style attack in the UK first emerged.

Army bosses put a "substantial" number of the Who Dares Wins soldiers on round-the-clock standby - set to go at a moment's notice. All other duties and exercises were cancelled.

Members of the SAS force are even banned from any booze over the festive period.

The alert is the most telling proof yet of how seriously anti-terror bosses are taking the nightmare threat of a "spectacular" attack.

The standby order has been confirmed by senior military sources.

But to protect national security, The Sun has agreed not to reveal the precise size of the force or how many choppers are involved.

The jumbo Chinooks - which can carry up to 40 fully armed troops - are usually based at RAF Odiham, Hants.

The Pumas - which can carry 16 - are from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.

An SAS source said last night: "We haven't had this many troopers on immediate standby for a UK operation since the 1990s when the IRA were still active.

"The Government is taking the threat of a 'Mumbai' on a busy British shopping street extremely seriously."

Last week we revealed that some SAS troops have been moved from their Sterling Lines HQ to be closer to major urban areas.

The alert was triggered last month when foreign intelligence agencies discovered an Islamic plot to launch raids on European cities to rival the Mumbai horror that left 170 dead.

Home Secretary Theresa May has urged Brits to be vigilant. The official terror threat level is "severe" meaning an attack is likely.

An Ministry of Defense spokesman said: "We do not comment on Special Forces operations."

SAS DEPLOYS TO THE SHOPPING MALLS IN UK

AND WHY IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE

SAS hit squads are today protecting packed shopping centers from terrorists 

- with orders to shoot to kill.

The regiment's elite troops are poised to foil any al-Qaeda bid to cause Mumbai-style carnage amid Britain's Christmas crowds.

The Who Dares Wins teams have instructions to strike hard and fast to combat the "real and credible" threat of a bomb-and-gun onslaught by fanatics.

Terrorist gunman in Mumbai.

They have been briefed to "engage and neutralise" any terrorists as quickly as possible to minimise the chance of civilian deaths. They know the first 90 minutes are crucial to prevent the toll soaring.

Blazing hotel . . . Mumbai, India, 2008

The alert comes after growing fears that fanatics inspired by al-Qaeda plan a copy of the 2008 outrage in Mumbai, India.

Commando-style gunmen and bombers killed 175 and wounded more than 300 in a terror rampage.

Police stepped up security at shopping centres and airports across Britain over the weekend because of the fear of such an attack.

The SAS were drafted in because of the potential threat to shoppers on the streets of London, Birmingham and other major cities.

Read it all HERE


It won't happen here, however. This briefing was included when I went through door-kicking school at Fort Bragg:

The Posse Comitatus Act - 18 US Code § 1385 - prohibits most members of the federal uniformed services (today the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State National Guard forces when such are called into federal service) from exercising nominally state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order" on non-federal property (states and their counties and municipal divisions) within the United States.

The Act was passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction, with the intention (in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807) of substantially limiting the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement.
The Coast Guard is exempt from the Act.

This is the reason why they kept talking about "FBI tanks" when the compound was taken down in Waco - and why there are a plethora of paramilitary law enforcement entities here in the United States.

It works in Britain, but we don't have squads of Delta Force commandos stalking our airports and crowded public places looking for someone to piss on . . . and when when you think of the problems we have simply with Federal Law Enforcement in places like Ruby Ridge . . . we really don't want to be in a hurry to let that tiger out of the bag.

British SAS troopers in combat . . . Iranian Embassy siege, London, 1980.