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




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SPECIAL FORCES SWOOP ON LIBYA . . .

A daring rescue operation by Special Forces flew scores of British citizens out of Libya last night as the net closed in on Col Muammar Gaddafi.


A more descriptive headline might read:


"Special Operations Forces Swoop on Libya . . ."






This was a daring operation that no doubt involved a LOT of risk taking on behalf of British Special Air Service soldiers, but a thing like this is actually a combined arms operations involving all services, most especially logistical personnel.

Phases of an operation like this include issuing warning orders to the ground operators (SAS) as well as the air arm involved (RAF and RN); planning; reconnaissance; infiltration of the main body; actions on the objective; consolidation and preparation for exfil; exfiltration. Intelligence gathering and operational security (OPSEC) would be involved throughout each phase of the operation.

An advanced recon element would be launched - given present circumstances they may have inserted by air - either civilian air transport, helicopter or High-Altitude-Low-Opening parachute (HALO); personally I would prefer MH-47 Chinook because I can get a fully-loaded vehicle on board - you can't get very far in the desert without a truck. Presumably they had some stay-behind personnel from the embassy who could coordinate a lot of the above.

Of course all of the above is contingent upon a forward staging area and launch site - this has to be selected and coordinated with host country - in this case (presumably) the former British colony of Malta. At the same time the forward element is being launched, the main body is being assembled; equipment, aircraft and vehicles prepared; medical and life support supplies collected, and phases of movement coordinated - home station to forward operating base (Malta) to Libya and return. Fuel has to be coordinated and paid for to cover each leg of the operation.

Preparations have to be made for reception of the British refugees once they arrive in Malta; temporary accommodations (aircraft hangers, large tents, cots, toilets, showers, medical facilities, etc.). Feeding will probably be accomplished via takeout from local restaurants or airport caterers.






Meanwhile tasks for the advance (recon) party would include locating all potential evacuees and informing them where and when to assemble; locating and surveying suitable landing zone for the C-130 Hercules aircraft (primary, alternate & contingent); possibly acquiring ground transport for the evacuees; reconnaissance and security tasks while awaiting the arrival of the main body to include a steady stream of situation reports (SITREPS) from the ground, via encrypted satcom.

Last but not least all of the above involves an incredible amount of headquarters staff personnel to plan and coordinate, cut movement orders, and communicate, communicate, communicate . . .

There are very few militaries in the world capable of pulling off such a contingency operation - this time the UK shows us how it's done.


"Amateurs study strategy, professionals study logistics" - General of the Army Omar Bradley



SEAN LINNANE SENDS


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