Libya Unrest Thread

[JCR]

Not Yugoslav M60 Recoiless Rifle,but is US M40 recoilless rifle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M40_recoilless_rifle

I guess they allready found out that recoilless rifles aren't

[jokuvaan]

If pro-Gaddafi forces loose Ras Lanuf in next 24 hours then I would say that roll towards capital has started. Earlier attempt by Gaddafi forces to go towards east waked up a angry nest.

BBC:

it looked as though the provisional authorities back in Benghazi simply wanted to use Friday to prepare for an orderly advance in a day or so. Instead, the more hot-headed of the volunteers seem to be forcing the pace of this conflict

Seems like high ranking officers want to crash train troops more carefully before going into risky offensive mode towards unknown. Rebels could suffer huge losses on open desert if they get pinned down by tanks and other heavy weaponry.

[kalerab]

Rebelled officers declared times again that if uprising in Tripoli fails they will march in and currently the only thing standing between them and Tripoli is Sirte with significant military presence, if Sirte falls nothing will stand between rebel militia and army and Tripoli since Misrata is already in rebel hands.

[Proudgrandson]

[BBC:
Seems like high ranking officers want to crash train troops more carefully before going into risky offensive mode towards unknown. Rebels could suffer huge losses on open desert if they get pinned down by tanks and other heavy weaponry.[/QUOTE]

There are apparently only 50 fighters involved in the venture unless more followed after the BBC's John Simpson reported this.


1332: The BBC's John Simpson, who is following the rebels, says: "There seems to be no great plan behind this rapid advance which involves about 50 men, all of them lightly armed. One of them that I spoke to a moment or so ago said that he had been a political prisoner for five years and wanted to get his revenge for what Col Gaddafi's people had done to him and his family. Until this sudden advance, it looked as though the provisional authorities back in Benghazi simply wanted to use Friday to prepare for an orderly advance in a day or so. Instead, the more hot-headed of the volunteers seem to be forcing the pace of this conflict."

[Proudgrandson]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12647115

Tuaregs 'join Gaddafi's mercenaries'

Members of the Tuareg community in Mali say a large number of men from the Tuareg ethnic group have left Mali in the last week to join pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya.

"About 2-300 have left in the last seven days," said a senior elected official, who did not want to be named, from the Kidal region in the north of the country, where many Tuareg live.
Another Tuareg man from Kidal said: "It's true many young men are leaving. It all started about a week back."

He said he had spoken to a convoy of 40 vehicles who are in southern Algeria waiting to cross the border into Libya.

The elected official said: "They are being paid about $10,000 (£6,000) to join up and then I've heard they are being told that they will get $1,000 a day to fight."......

[kalerab]

City of Gheryan, about 100km from Tripoli was taken over by rebells. Also fighting for Az Zawiya stopped for now with multiple casulties, among them even commander of rebelled troops colonel Hussain Darbook. As for Ras Lanuf, r e u t e r s correspondent who is 12.4 miles away says that he hears large explosions from the town. Rebells are using AAAs against loyalist jets.

libyafeb17.com reports that Ras Lanuf airport has fallen to rebel hands.
And so does r e u t e r s.

[Yu1980]

from BBC
1514: Libyan state television is reporting that the eastern city of Zawiya is back under the control of the government. "The masses and the popular leadership in Zawiya have managed to secure the city and wrest control from terrorist elements," it says.

[kalerab]

While witnesses which spoke to AJ dismissed it and says that fighting resumed recently. Can´t be said what is truth, guess we´ll see when things settle down later this day.

[cem40]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12647115

Tuaregs 'join Gaddafi's mercenaries'

Members of the Tuareg community in Mali say a large number of men from the Tuareg ethnic group have left Mali in the last week to join pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya.

"About 2-300 have left in the last seven days," said a senior elected official, who did not want to be named, from the Kidal region in the north of the country, where many Tuareg live.
Another Tuareg man from Kidal said: "It's true many young men are leaving. It all started about a week back."

He said he had spoken to a convoy of 40 vehicles who are in southern Algeria waiting to cross the border into Libya.

The elected official said: "They are being paid about $10,000 (£6,000) to join up and then I've heard they are being told that they will get $1,000 a day to fight."......

$1,000 dollars ? With this amount of money Gaddafi haven't got any difficulty to find mercs. (but i don't believe they know how to aim. )

[Dercius]

$1,000 dollars ? With this amount of money Gaddafi haven't got any difficulty to find mercs. (but i don't believe they know how to aim. )

The info refers to Gaddaffi hiring Tuaregs as Mercs. Those guys know how to take care of themselves, they are not the average life-vest wearing african guerrilla

The problem is that to win the mercenary pay, your master has to win and survive

[danielc]

$10,000 signing fee + $1,000 a day is good pay for people in 1st world countries, let alone in those parts of the world, I don't think he's going to have a hard time finding takers.

[cem40]

Which in this case impossible...

[Alienfreak]

$10,000 signing fee + $1,000 a day is good pay for people in 1st world countries, let alone in those parts of the world, I don't think he's going to have a hard time finding takers.

Indeed. Sounds like a perfect students job

[sgt_G]

The problem is that to win the mercenary pay, your master has win and survive

crap...I knew there was a catch!

[coltfan111]

Sky news has some pretty good footage right now of a rebel group near Ras Lanuf. Looks like there has been some fighting and air-strikes. I don't see how the rebels can take on Tripoli, I'm not even sure who to support to be honest.