Meanwhile, In Libya...

[BansheeOne]

U.S. Special Operations troops aiding Libyan forces in major battle against Islamic State

By Missy Ryan and Sudarsan Raghavan August 9 at 4:51 PM

U.S. Special Operations forces are providing direct, on-the-ground support for the first time to fighters battling the Islamic State in Libya, U.S. and Libyan officials said, coordinating American airstrikes and providing intelligence information in an effort to oust the group from a militant stronghold.

The positioning of a small number of elite U.S. personnel, operating alongside British troops, in the coastal city of Sirte deepens the involvement of Western nations against the Islamic State’s most powerful affiliate.

U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a mission that has not been announced publicly, said the American troops were operating out of a joint operations center on the city’s outskirts and that their role was limited to supporting forces loyal to the country’s fragile unity government.

Robyn Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Africa Command (Africom), said small numbers of U.S. military personnel would continue to go in and out of Libya to exchange information with local forces, but she declined to provide details.

An expanded on-the-ground role for Western nations follows the Obama administration’s decision earlier this month to begin regular airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Sirte, the group’s de facto capital in North Africa. Since the strikes began about a week ago, U.S. planes have struck almost 30 militant targets.

The increased U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State in Libya underscores the stakes in a battle against a group that has vowed to strike the West and that has attracted recruits from across Africa and the Middle East. Since they appeared in Libya in 2014, fighters allied with the Islamic State have displayed tactics similar to their parent group in Syria and Iraq: beheading non-Muslims, attacking local security forces and facilities associated with Westerners, forcing locals to abide by their harsh interpretation of Islam.

The new American operation in Sirte is the culmination of an extended, low-visibility mission in Libya by U.S. special operators, who established small outposts in recent months as part of an effort to build ties with friendly forces and increase American understanding of the complexities of political and militia factions. Previously, U.S. troops focused on holding talks with an array of militia factions to identify potential partners and gathering information about the situation on the ground, including the threat from the Islamic State.

The limited nature and size of U.S. operations around Sirte reflect the delicate balancing act the Obama administration must manage as it seeks to help allied local forces succeed while not undermining the country’s fragile unity government. Last month, Libyans protested France’s military footprint in eastern Libya after the death of French troops revealed their presence there.

Even in recent days, Libyan militia commanders have declared that there were no Western boots on the ground and that this was their fight alone. The pro-government forces in Sirte are mostly militia fighters from the city of Misurata, about 150 miles by road to the northwest.

Mattia Toaldo, a Libya expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. mission in Sirte differed from the French presence in the eastern city of Benghazi, mainly because none of Libya’s feuding political factions would object to attempts to defeat the Islamic State. “As long as they keep this low profile … the risks both for the U.S. and for the Libyan government are quite low,” he said.

But even with the aid of U.S. airstrikes, pro-government forces have found it challenging to push into militant territory as they face an array of obstacles, including land mines, snipers and booby-trapped buildings. As U.S. munitions hit extremists’ military vehicles and mobile ammunition depots, the militants have adapted by reducing their visibility and hiding their remaining tanks, armored personnel carriers and rocket launchers.

On Monday, U.S. fighter jets could be heard zipping across the skies over Sirte, and there were loud explosions inside militant areas. According to Africom, those strikes hit multiple fighting positions and a truck.

At least five pro-government fighters were killed and dozens more were injured in heavy fighting in the al-Dollar neighborhood this week. The wounded included several top front-line commanders, according to Libyan militia sources. U.S. officials said American forces are not taking part in combat or even directly acting as spotters for airstrikes, and no Americans have been wounded so far.

Also this week, U.S. and British personnel, carrying radios and wearing black body armor and tan fatigues, were seen in central Sirte, according to officers allied with the Libyan government and Western security personnel in the area. Pentagon officials said they were not part of the U.S. Special Operations force.

According to Libyan militia officials, the arrival of Americans and British near the front line signals preparations for a significant push into Islamic State territory.

[...]

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/08/09/u-s-special-operations-forces-are-providing-direct-on-the-ground-support-for-the-first-time-in-libya/

[Dark_Falcon]

Gen. Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) moved on two eastern oil ports and the town of Brega and the Petrol Facilities Guard PFG (PFG) collapsed like a sand castle when the tide rolls in:

 

 

Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday seized at least two key oil ports from a rival force loyal to the U.N.-backed government, risking a new conflict over the OPEC nation's resources.

Ahmed al-Masmari, a spokesman for Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said LNA fighters seized control of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf and Brega, but still faced resistance at the port of Zueitina and around the nearby town of Ajdabiya.

 

The attacks on Libya's major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), pushes the North African state towards a broader battle over its oil resources and disrupts attempts to restart production.

 

Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya's oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising and fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

 

Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Gaddafi was toppled, has resisted attempts to integrate him into a unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions.

 

 

Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday seized at least two key oil ports from a rival force loyal to the U.N.-backed government, risking a new conflict over the OPEC nation's resources.

Ahmed al-Masmari, a spokesman for Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said LNA fighters seized control of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf and Brega, but still faced resistance at the port of Zueitina and around the nearby town of Ajdabiya.

The attacks on Libya's major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), pushes the North African state towards a broader battle over its oil resources and disrupts attempts to restart production.

Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya's oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising and fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

 

Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Gaddafi was toppled, has resisted attempts to integrate him into a unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions.

 

More details later.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Dark_Falcon

[Dark_Falcon]

The Old and the New:

 

 

Nice pic of #LNA Panthera F9 APC and M1938 (M-30) 122 mm howitzer near #Derna #Libya

 

[Adam Peter]

The Russians have arrived!

[Simon Tan]

Getting things done.

[Dark_Falcon]

The Russians have arrived!

 

The Sun is a tabloid not noted for its accuracy and that piece is a load of anonymous-sourced garbage. It should be marked "Fake News" and dismissed.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Its a shame. They deserve Libya.

[TTK Ciar]

It's potentially a handy interface between Europe and the emerging economies of Africa. You'd think someone would be interested in staking a claim.

 

Even now, in its chaotic and perilous condition, it is a significant gateway for refugees fleeing northward from conflicts in nearby countries.

 

https://reliefweb.int/report/libya/unhcr-flash-update-libya-28-september-5-october-2018-enar

 

In the future, Libyan ports will export manufactured goods, not refugees.

Edited October 10, 2018 by TTK Ciar

[Daan]

"155mm Palmaria Howitzer during the GNA action to recapture Ain Zara in #Tripoli"

https://twitter.com/aldin_ww/status/1119702560200437761

[Roman Alymov]

Russian view with subtitles

[Simon Tan]

Arab expeditionary air forces. Cleaning up after NATO.

[Stuart Galbraith]

It was not a NATO operation. It was thought up in a love fest between David 'Brexit' Cameron and Barak 'Dont call me Kenyan' Obama. Oh and Sarkozy, who clearly didnt want to be left out when there was any really important bombing to do.

 

Why did anyone think they would have the stamina to see it through to the end? I never did. Thats why I never supported it, it was always fated to end up this way.

[Yama]

EU: "Oh man, we have to do something about that Libya, but we have never done such a thing. Oh I know! Lets ask Americans, they like to invade sandy countries and know this shit."

USA: "Dude, that Libya situation needs an intervention, but I'm in no shape for another occupation and war. Oh hey! Euros apparently finally man up and pick up the torch, great, I can help them for sure!"

Both: "Oh this is great, all I have to do is to bomb stuff and that other guy will do all the dirty work."

[Daan]

It was not a NATO operation. It was thought up in a love fest between David 'Brexit' Cameron and Barak 'Dont call me Kenyan' Obama. Oh and Sarkozy, who clearly didnt want to be left out when there was any really important bombing to do.

 

Why did anyone think they would have the stamina to see it through to the end? I never did. Thats why I never supported it, it was always fated to end up this way.

It was a NATO operation from March 30 2011 onwards, called Operation Unified Protector and NATO was involved in drawing up plans beforehand.

 

The dynamic between Cameron and Sarkozy seems to have been different from what you describe. Sarkozy was always in the lead in the PR realm and French forces were the first to strike Libya. Personally, I have always thought that it was an elaborate stunt by Sarkozy to boost his low ratings in the polls for the presidential election later that year.

[Chris Werb]

"155mm Palmaria Howitzer during the GNA action to recapture Ain Zara in #Tripoli"

https://twitter.com/aldin_ww/status/1119702560200437761

 

Did anyone else do a double take and think "Tiger II VISMOD"?

[JasonJ]

Mirage F1 was shot down and the Portuguese pilot was captured.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/libya-national-army-pilot-portugal-captured-tripoli-fighter-jet-lna-a8903176.html

[Detonable]

Is he a NATO pilot or a mercenary fighting for the other Lydian side?

[Dark_Falcon]

Is he a NATO pilot or a mercenary fighting for the other Lydian side?

 

Merc who happens to be from a NATO nation.

[Mistral]

SA-3 in ground attack mode?

​

‹https://twitter.com/CalibreObscura/status/1130124055783313409

[GARGEAN]

Yup. Nothing exceptional in this tho. Very many soviet SAMs has that capability.

[Mistral]

Yup. Nothing exceptional in this tho. Very many soviet SAMs has that capability.

 

​I know, I wonder what the CEP is for such a strike though. Must be scary being under its flight path.

[bojan]

It is guided in the G-G mode, and accuracy is good enough to target individual buildings at near max range (provided radar has a clear LOS to there).

It is just that it is:

- pretty expensive thing to do

- not very effective (relatively small fragmentation warhead)

[Nikolas93TS]

This looks to be unguided effort: just point the missile in the general direction of the enemy.

[Daan]

Something went wrong:

[Stuart Galbraith]

This looks to be unguided effort: just point the missile in the general direction of the enemy.

 

There is a story that the Egyptians were direct firing (I cant remember if it was SA2's or SA6's) directly at Israeli tanks during Sharons drive into Africa. Didnt do a lot of good though. At least it stopped them capturing them.