British airstrike destroys missile launch vehicle near Tripoli

[News_Editor]

British airstrike destroys missile launch vehicle near Tripoli

2011-08-28 17:58:32 GMT+7 (ICT)

TRIPOLI (BNO NEWS) -- An airstrike carried out by British forces on Saturday destroyed a missile launch vehicle near the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday.

Major General Nick Pope, a spokesman for UK Defense Staff, said its forces spotted a FROG 7 ballistic missile launch vehicle near Bin Ghashir, a rocket artillery depot south of Tripoli. He said the vehicle belonged to forces loyal to disputed leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"A long range, if not very accurate, heavy artillery rocket, the weapon represented a significant potential threat to the population of Tripoli," Pope said, adding that the vehicle was destroyed by British aircraft with a Paveway guided bomb.

It was not immediately known if there were casualties as a result of Saturday's airstrike.

NATO forces also carried out three other airstrikes in other parts of Libya on Saturday. Airstrikes targeted a surface-to-surface supply vehicle in the vicinity of Sirte, a military supply storage near Bani Walid, and a surface to air missile facility near Al Aziziyah.

Libya has been engulfed in a civil war since an uprising against Muammar Gaddafi's regime began in mid-February, leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 which authorized its member states to impose a no-fly zone over the North African country and take 'all necessary measures' to protect civilians. Since then, NATO forces have carried out thousands of airstrikes across Libya to aid the rebels.

In June, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam, and the head of Libya's intelligence forces, Abdullah Al Sanousi, for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the conflict.

It is uncertain how many people have been killed, but some estimates put the death toll as high as 20,000. Hundreds of thousands have also fled to neighboring countries over the course of the crisis.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-28

[Steely Dan]

Glad to see we're giving our boys air cover, the cheque is in the post

http://www.debka.com/article/21249/

Members of the Al Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – LIFG, are in control of the former strongholds of Muammar Qaddafi captured by Libyan rebels last Sunday, Aug. 21, debkafile reports from sources in Libya. They are fighting under the command of Abd Al-Hakim Belhadj, an al Qaeda veteran from Afghanistan whom the CIA captured in Malaysia in 2003 and extradited six years later to Libya where Qaddafi held him in prison.

[zydeco]

Now, the blowback begins. What next for the smart guys in Paris, London, and DC?

[maidu]

Libya will need to rebuild it's armed forces, and guess who will be in the front of the line to sell them new toys? Plus, we (Brits, US, French, etc) will even loan money to the Libyans to buy our stuff. And later, when Bono and his boys make a big fuss, we'll agree to forgive the loans to yet another failed state run by Muslim fanatics. The icing on the cake is, the weapons we (Europe and US) sell to the newer group of tough guys who take over Libya, will likely be used against European and US forces in the future. Then we'll be obliged to destroy the weapons (during a protracted war against insurgents) and awhile later, we'll sell weapons to a yet newer group of thugs.

A dune region is hard enough to govern when the people are sensible and decent (and where is that, pray tell?), and even harder to govern when every male between 15 and 65 has at least one automatic weapon.

[Robby nz]

Bombings near Tripoli and on the Pakis and Afgans and we dont know how many we killed but its OK because we consider then to be baddies and we are only doing it for humanitarian purposes to save civilians.

Humanitarian killings???? right on and all the while they are telling Syria to stop killing, the hipocricy of it all.

Well one mans terrorist is anothers freedom fighter and that can change like with the Talaban who the US supported and supplyed when they were fighting the Ruskies now these weapons are being used against the US, yea lets supply them with weapons.

What were the words of the old song 'when will they ever learn'.

But lets get the oil flowing again so we can get our reward for all the bombs.

[Credo]

Yup, big mistake to take those missle and missle launchers out. I am sure Mr. Quadaffi & Co. would never use them against the rebels and civilians in Tripoli.

[geriatrickid]

Despite what some may think, the Libyans have a strong sense of the outside world. Look at the so called fighters. They are hardly religious fanatics. Many members of the expat Libyan community returned to help. I think people will be surprised by the strong streak of fairness that will be displayed by the rebels.

Edited August 29, 2011 by geriatrickid

[Robby nz]

Yup, big mistake to take those missle and missle launchers out. I am sure Mr. Quadaffi & Co. would never use them against the rebels and civilians in Tripoli.

Consider sir that they havent used them over the course of this nor the chemical weapons we now hear they have. Where did we hear about WMD's before?

Neither have they used the surface to air missiles we are told they have against the humanaterian bombers.

Note, That dosent make Gaddafi good or right.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Robby nz

[Steely Dan]

Despite what some may think, the Libyans have a strong sense of the outside world. Look at the so called fighters. They are hardly religious fanatics. Many members of the expat Libyan community returned to help. I think people will be surprised by the strong streak of fairness that will be displayed by the rebels.

I recall you were dead against intervention, whats changed? There are undoubtedly some moderates in Libya who desire democracy, just as is the case with Egypt or Tunisia, but don't gloss over the fact that more Al Qaeda fighters in Iraq came from Libya than anywhere else. Furthermore Libya is a very tribal Country where inter-tribal conflict is as likely as that between moderates and Islamists, what could go wrong?

[Credo]

Yup, big mistake to take those missle and missle launchers out. I am sure Mr. Quadaffi & Co. would never use them against the rebels and civilians in Tripoli.

Consider sir that they havent used them over the course of this nor the chemical weapons we now hear they have. Where did we hear about WMD's before?

Neither have they used the surface to air missiles we are told they have against the humanaterian bombers.

Note, That dosent make Gaddafi good or right.

Yup, and now we don't have to worry about anybody using them.

If the NATO forces are going to destroy things, then things like this are what should be targeted.

[zydeco]

Yup, big mistake to take those missle and missle launchers out. I am sure Mr. Quadaffi & Co. would never use them against the rebels and civilians in Tripoli.

Consider sir that they havent used them over the course of this nor the chemical weapons we now hear they have. Where did we hear about WMD's before?

Neither have they used the surface to air missiles we are told they have against the humanaterian bombers.

Note, That dosent make Gaddafi good or right.

But he was.

[flying]

Consider sir that they havent used them over the course of this nor the chemical weapons we now hear they have. Where did we hear about WMD's before?

Neither have they used the surface to air missiles we are told they have against the humanaterian bombers.

Note, That dosent make Gaddafi good or right.

Hey no asking questions ! Your either with us or against us

Sorry I shouldn't make jokes as it is a serious subject.

It is nice to see some like yourself ask common sense questions.

It seems it is not only lacking in our governments but many civilians these days also.

Where as the governments may have ulterior motives that does not excuse the citizens who employ them

from using some critical thinking.

Lastly I agree with you that your comments neither make Gaddafi good or right

But your questions were good ones.

Edited August 29, 2011 by flying