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Africa North
US military advisers in Cyrenaica. Qaddafi's loses his air force
2011-02-27
Hundreds of US, British and French military advisers have arrived in Cyrenaica, Libya's eastern breakaway province, debkafile's military sources report exclusively. This is the first time America and Europe have intervened militarily in any of the popular upheavals rolling through the Middle East since Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution in early January. The advisers, including intelligence officers, were dropped from warships and missile boats at the coastal towns of Benghazi and Tobruk Thursday Feb. 24, for a threefold mission:

1. To help the revolutionary committees controlling eastern Libyan establish government frameworks for supplying two million inhabitants with basic services and commodities;

2. To organize them into paramilitary units, teach them how to use the weapons they captured from Libyan army facilities, help them restore law and order on the streets and train them to fight Muammar Qaddafi's combat units coming to retake Cyrenaica.

3. The prepare infrastructure for the intake of additional foreign troops. Egyptian units are among those under consideration.
That last will give the Egyptian army something more interesting to do than conquering Coptic monasteries or plotting the invasion of Israel.
Posted by:gorb

#8  Silent naval blockade and no-fly zone, just telling those who need to know. Iranians in the Sahel make an interesting target, perhaps for the Nigerians with a little help.
Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division   2011-02-27 22:29  

#7  Moose, I usually agree with the way you think but I think you're missing one point about paying off dividends. Arabs don't see things that way - if they did where is all the discount Iraq oil and Iraqi - American oil contracts. The lybians will take the assistance and then auction their gains to the highest bidder. I've given up on the lot of them.
Posted by: Hellfish   2011-02-27 19:35  

#6  Probably much in the way blind people reach out for points of reference.

Anyway, you gotta love the 'Burg. You realease an article, and when you check back on it, it has already found a picture and some appropriate snark. :-)
Posted by: gorb   2011-02-27 19:02  

#5  Clinton says we're reaching out to the opposition leaders in the eastern area. 'Reaching out' wasn't defined in detail.
Posted by: lotp   2011-02-27 17:56  

#4  It is one of those situations that "If it isn't true, it should be."

If for no other reason than to quietly protect the oil infrastructure from destruction by anybody, so that it can be turned over to whoever wins. Saddam made a huge pain in ass by blowing up Kuwait's oil wells.

The foreign forces could also send any loyal Libyan military elements radio signals advising them that the game is pretty well over, so they shouldn't foul up and do something stupid, that would get a lot of them killed and their officers hung. Essentially, "go ahead and defend your base, but do not go slaughtering your own people."

Included in this batch I can imagine a lot of serious snipers as well, to do counter sniping in the cities, as needed.

Lastly, to establish a covert "beachhead", for various purposes, including the evacuation of foreigners, and the flow of weaponry and supply. Making friends with the people at this time could pay handsome dividends later.

These, and lots of other reasons.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-02-27 14:44  

#3  If, if, if this is true it is a big mistake. I'd give debkafile a weak F6.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-02-27 13:28  

#2  I remember that as well.

I put the salt pic in the text because the source is Debka. The US putting advisers into Libya? It could happen, I suppose, but it would require Obama to make a decision, something he isn't too good at. Perhaps Mr. Gates leaned on him some, or Gates and Hilde did a little tag team.

Not saying it couldn't be true, and if true I don't want all this blabbed all over the New York Times tomorrow, but I'm a little skeptical.
Posted by: Steve White   2011-02-27 11:38  

#1  Don't forget that Egypt and Libya fought a brief border war back in 77. The Egyptians rolled across the border, but not very deep, in response to Kadaffy's provocations, as well as support for a plan to assassinate Sadat (Daffy was pissed at Sadat about the peace treaty with Israel). They thumped Libya pretty good.

Yes, I am an old spook, I remember things like that.
Posted by: OldSpook   2011-02-27 11:10  

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