These are the lead stories on the Drudge Report today:

_________________________________________________________

UK 'to send team of spies' to help oust Gadhafi...

British Army readies for mission at 24 hours' notice...

Obama goes golfing...

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That shows where our guy's priorities are.

"Eurovision Song Contest"

Eligibility to participate is not determined by geographic inclusion within the continent of Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision" — nor does it have a direct connection with the European Union. Several countries geographically outside the boundaries of Europe have competed: Israel, Cyprus and Armenia, in Western Asia, since 1973, 1981 and 2006 respectively; and Morocco, in North Africa, in the 1980 competition alone. In addition, several transcontinental countries with only part of their territory in Europe have competed: Turkey, since 1975; Russia, since 1994; Georgia, since 2007; and Azerbaijan, which made its first appearance in the 2008 edition. Two of the countries that have previously sought to enter the competition, Lebanon and Tunisia, in Western Asia and North Africa respectively, are also outside of Europe. The Gulf state of Qatar, in Western Asia, announced in 2009 its interest in joining the Contest in time for the 2011 edition.

conclusion: Qataris will be Yewropeeans if participation is granted

Cheesy music knows no boundries.

These are the lead stories on the Drudge Report today:

_________________________________________________________

UK 'to send team of spies' to help oust Gadhafi...

British Army readies for mission at 24 hours' notice...

Obama goes golfing...

_________________________________________________________

That shows where our guy's priorities are.

Are you sure it didn't say "UK to send team of spies to help out British Petroleum" ?

Not these "spies" by any chance?

Talks are underway between UK officials and opposition leaders in Libya to free UK special forces troops detained in eastern Libya,

SAS caught with its pants down

SAS caught with its pants down

If the men had their pants down, they must have been Navy.............

As in the Navy motto:

"Don't leave your buddy's behind"

I think the SAS guys are out of Libya. There was something on CNN, but I wasn't listening carefully.

Put back on the boat in Benghazi harbour.

Given a pat on the bum, told to go home and not to come back.

Very stupid move by the British "government" as they do not yet know what the outcome of all this trouble will be. I guess Gaddaffi will stay in control, at least in the West (where the oil is) and maybe give the Cyrenaicans some degree of autonomy. After all, they have nothing to contribute to the national pot, except a broken-down 'Great Man-Made River'. And good grapes in Al Beida. Everything else is in the West.

BUMP

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8703041/Col-Gaddafi-fires-scud-missile-at-rebel-territory-as-Nato-braces-itself-for-final-violent-showdown.html

The launch of the ballistic Scud missile, which has a range of more than 200 miles, was detected by a US Aegis destroyer in the Mediterranean on Sunday, officials told The Daily Telegraph.

.........

The missile fired may have been targeting rebel troop formations around Ajdabiyah, a key junction town seized from the regime earlier this year and home to the advance military headquarters of the rebels. It is believed the missile landed in the desert.

Driving from Adjdabiyah to Sirte took a tank and a half of gas - so about 500-600km (300-350 miles). If the Scud has a range of 200 miles, it would seem a trifle futile to aim one at Adjdabiyah from Sirte?

The Telegraph seems to still be fanatical in it's reporting of the insurrection in Libya. If I remember aright, this started in March and has meant literally thousands of bombing raids on the government-held parts of Libya (all in the name of protecting civilians) and yet this pack of Al Qaeda-led tribesmen from Cyrenaica still cannot unseat the Tripolitanian government. Been the same now for more than forty years - every year at least one or two attempts on Muammar Gaddafi's life - none successful. Each followed by retribution on the perp's distant relatives still resident in Libya.

(Most of these attempts have been mounted by the old government-in-exile in Egypt, never recognised by the UN or any country. Why recognise this bunch of rag-tag Islamists and tribal discontents from the Eastern province?)

Driving from Adjdabiyah to Sirte took a tank and a half of gas - so about 500-600km (300-350 miles). If the Scud has a range of 200 miles, it would seem a trifle futile to aim one at Adjdabiyah from Sirte?

The Scud missile doesn't have to make all the curves, bends and turns that a road does. So the distance may vary. Even taking that into account, however, it's still probably a futile effort.

Driving from Adjdabiyah to Sirte took a tank and a half of gas - so about 500-600km (300-350 miles). If the Scud has a range of 200 miles, it would seem a trifle futile to aim one at Adjdabiyah from Sirte?

The Scud missile doesn't have to make all the curves, bends and turns that a road does. So the distance may vary. Even taking that into account, however, it's still probably a futile effort.

There's virtually no bends in the part from Adj'dabiyah to Sirte - from Benghazi the first 120km (maybe a little less) is southward. Wriggle thru' AD and your heading West for Brega. Police check just beyond AD (must have gone now) another before Brega. Bypass Brega. Road widens and is strengthened to make an emergency landing strip. Petrol station. Stop and change drivers. Keep heading west. After a time you come to a long sweeping curve that heads you towards Sirte. Another gas station. Fill up. Bypass Sirte. Head onwards, still West. Long turn northwards and you find signs to Misurata (in Arabic - all road signs in Arabic). Bear left before Misurata and you're on the Tripoli road. Now comes the agriculture. Before this it was all desert from Adj'Dabiyah until you bear left to avoid Misurata. Probably 700/800 km of the 1,005 km that is the road from Benghazi to Tripoli.

I used to drive it once a month, each way. 10 hours, through the night.

Flights between the two cities were not conveniently timed for the meetings I had to have with the client.

BUMP

I had to go to page 7 to find a Libyan topic. They were all the rage 15 months ago, but have gone from everyone's memory since the death of Gaddafi.

But now, for us Brits, other Europeans, Phiilippinos and Algerians, it is back on the front pages, due to the militants' attack on the gas collecting facility on the Libyan/Algerian border. Several Brits killed, along with other nationalities, although the majority have been freed by the Algerian Army Special Forces.

The militants are a mixture of Islamists, previously suppressed under Gaddafi, mercenaries previously employed by Gaddafi and roving tribesmen (Tuareg?) who are disputing the whole idea of border controls between Libya, Algeria, Mali, Chad, Niger and so on - this has been an issue between Mauretania, Algeria and Morrocco for generations.

The arms are a mixture of Gaddafi Army issue and the military hardware given so generously by Sarkozy and Cameron to who-knows-who in the forces arrayed against Gaddafi. The Poison Dwarf and Camoron had not the faintest idea of who they were supplying - just that it was people who were against Gaddafi. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And next week they'll be fighting in Mali.

Next year they'll be fighting in Niger and Chad as well.

And after that the whole of North Africa will be Islamised, led by Egypt, with infinite oil and gas wealth.

Think about it - and say goodbye to Spain, Portugal and Italy, plus the Balkans. Greece will be no great loss, but it too will fall to the medieval doctrines of fundamental Islam.

BUMP

I had to go to page 7 to find a Libyan topic. They were all the rage 15 months ago, but have gone from everyone's memory since the death of Gaddafi.

But now, for us Brits, other Europeans, Phiilippinos and Algerians, it is back on the front pages, due to the militants' attack on the gas collecting facility on the Libyan/Algerian border. Several Brits killed, along with other nationalities, although the majority have been freed by the Algerian Army Special Forces.

The militants are a mixture of Islamists, previously suppressed under Gaddafi, mercenaries previously employed by Gaddafi and roving tribesmen (Tuareg?) who are disputing the whole idea of border controls between Libya, Algeria, Mali, Chad, Niger and so on - this has been an issue between Mauretania, Algeria and Morrocco for generations.

The arms are a mixture of Gaddafi Army issue and the military hardware given so generously by Sarkozy and Cameron to who-knows-who in the forces arrayed against Gaddafi. The Poison Dwarf and Camoron had not the faintest idea of who they were supplying - just that it was people who were against Gaddafi. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And next week they'll be fighting in Mali.

Next year they'll be fighting in Niger and Chad as well.

And after that the whole of North Africa will be Islamised, led by Egypt, with infinite oil and gas wealth.

Think about it - and say goodbye to Spain, Portugal and Italy, plus the Balkans. Greece will be no great loss, but it too will fall to the medieval doctrines of fundamental Islam.

I posted the following article on another thread, but now you mention it. Those who cling to the notion that the Libya intervention has not exacerbated an already thorny problem in Saharan Africa are imho in denial.

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2013/01/100-wars.html