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| Africa North |
| Al-Jizz footage captures western troops on ground in Libya |
| 2011-05-31 |
| Armed westerners have been filmed on the front line with rebels near Misrata in the first apparent confirmation that foreign special forces are playing an active role in the Libyan conflict. Yet another news tidbit the public really didn't need to know. A group of six westerners are clearly visible in a report by al-Jazeera from Dafniya, described as the westernmost point of the rebel lines west of the town of Misrata. Five of them were armed and wearing sand-coloured clothes, peaked caps, and cotton Arab scarves. The sixth, apparently the most senior of the group, was carrying no visible weapon and wore a pink, short-sleeve shirt. He may be an intelligence officer. The group is seen talking to rebels and then quickly leaving on being spotted by the television crew. The westerners were seen by al-Jazeera on rebel lines late last week, days before British and French attack helicopters are due to join the Nato campaign. They are likely to be deployed on the outskirts of Misrata, from where pro-Gaddafi forces continue to shell rebel positions to the east. There have been numerous reports in the British press that SAS soldiers are acting as spotters in Libya to help Nato warplanes target pro-Gaddafi forces. In March, six special forces soldiers and two MI6 officers were detained by rebel fighters when they landed on an abortive mission to meet rebel leaders in Benghazi, in an embarrassing episode for the SAS. The group was withdrawn soon afterwards and a new "liaison team" sent in its place. Asked for comment on Monday, a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "We don't have any forces out there." The subject is sensitive as the UN security council resolution in March authorising the use of force in Libya specifically excludes "a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory". |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 Update Former SAS soldiers and other western employees of private security companies are helping Nato identify targets in the Libyan port city of Misrata, the scene of heavy fighting between Gaddafi's forces and rebels, well-placed sources have told the Guardian. Special forces veterans are passing details of the locations and movements of Muammar Gaddafi's forces to the Naples headquarters of Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, Canadian commander of Nato forces, the sources said. The targets are then verified by spy planes and US Predator drones. "One piece of human intelligence is not enough," a source said. The former soldiers are there with the blessing of Britain, France and other Nato countries, which have supplied them with communications equipment. They are likely to be providing information for the pilots of British and French attack helicopters, who are expected to start firing at targets in and around Misrata this week. |
| Posted by: tipper 2011-05-31 15:46 |
| #5 Name a single Secular or near-Secular government or entity in the arab world that has received even moral support in the past 30 years. When you acquire leadership in Western Civilization, you leave intelligence at the door to power. |
| Posted by: Ebbomock Oppressor of the Poles4597 2011-05-31 15:36 |
| #4 They didn't seem camera shy. My bet is they are hired guns imported and payed with the $500 million the rebels took from the Libyan Central bank. |
| Posted by: Griting Smith6978 2011-05-31 04:09 |
| #3 Pink shirt, UK intelligence type. Notorious for rampant homosexuality. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2011-05-31 03:20 |
| #2 you can look funny in uniform, but that makes you not a westerner. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-05-31 03:17 |
| #1 Peaked caps...Germans? Pink, short-sleeved shirt...Ahnuld? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2011-05-31 02:00 |