France is providing weapons to Libyan rebels

[Principe Alessandro]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-...-rebels-report

France is providing weapons to Libyan rebels in the Western Mountains in an effort to help them push on to Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Le Figaro newspaper reported.

Citing unidentified sources, Le Figaro said France had parachuted "large amounts" of weapons, including rocket launchers, assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank missiles into the Jebel Nafusa region.

The decision to send arms without consulting its Nato partners was "because there was no other way to proceed," a senior source was quoted as saying.

The rebellion against Gaddafi's 41-year rule has made only slow progress since Nato-led countries began bombing three months ago, but rebels now say they getting closer to Tripoli.

Rebels based in the Western Mountains region southwest of the capital made their biggest breakthrough in weeks on Sunday to reach the town of Bir al-Ghanam, where they are now fighting pro-Gaddafi forces for control.

Officials at the Defence Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment and a Foreign Ministry official said it did not handle operational affairs and could not comment on the report.

Government spokesman Francois Baroin declined to comment.

Le Figaro said it had seen a confidential map stamped by French intelligence services showing various areas in the mountains including Yafran and Nalut under the control of rebels where weapons could be sent.

Speaking after a meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and rebel chief Mahmoud Jibril, National Transitional Council Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told reporters on Tuesday it had not asked for any further military assistance.

"We are getting our (military) means from other places, " Shammam said, without elaborating.

Rebels say they have been receiving weapons from Qatar in particular through their bastion in Benghazi in eastern Libya.

Sarkozy has had a close relationship with the rebels since French planes struck first in Libya as part of UN-backed mandate to protect civilians.

While intervention on the ground has been ruled out, Sarkozy previously promised to step up air strikes. Earlier in June, French and British helicopters joined operations to give the NATO-led mission more precision targeting and help speed up a military conclusion.

France is doing a great job in Libya. I really praise their effort in this war.

[SPECTREtm]

You do have to wonder why France is suddenly SO eager to act when it has been passive in nearly every other instance... But of cause it has nothing to do with securing Libyan oil rights.

[Poach]

You do have to wonder why France is suddenly SO eager to act when it has been passive in nearly every other instance... But of cause it has nothing to do with securing Libyan oil rights.

Actually I think it had more to do with trying to show the EU that Europe could act independently without the nod of approval from the US. France is playing the EU game, if Libya is successful they might then use it to push for some sort of EU military integration.

[hellheaven1987]

Actually I think it had more to do with trying to show the EU that Europe could act independently without the nod of approval from the US. France is playing the EU game, if Libya is successful they might then use it to push for some sort of EU military integration.

Well, apartly that intention was broken down when Germany ditched Angol-French Alliance.

[justicar5]

Actually I think it had more to do with trying to show the EU that Europe could act independently without the nod of approval from the US. France is playing the EU game, if Libya is successful they might then use it to push for some sort of EU military integration.

also, look who gets the flood of refugees if Libya goes to hell: Italy and France. That may have a part in their thinking.

[hellheaven1987]

also, look who gets the flood of refugees if Libya goes to hell: Italy and France. That may have a part in their thinking.

Refugee would still come regardless who take the power; Tunisia already gives a good example about that.

[NotYetRegistered]

You do have to wonder why France is suddenly SO eager to act when it has been passive in nearly every other instance... But of cause it has nothing to do with securing Libyan oil rights.

Indeed.

It's so Sarko can get some popularity. He's trying to pull a Thatcher.

[spanish_emperor]

i await a bloodbath in Tripoli

[SonOfOdin]

i await a bloodbath in Tripoli

I await hundreds of NATO jet fighters to pass over my house...ohh wait, they're already doing that

[MathiasOfAthens]

Yeah, what Poach said.

[MathiasOfAthens]

You do have to wonder why France is suddenly SO eager to act when it has been passive in nearly every other instance... But of cause it has nothing to do with securing Libyan oil rights.

Governments do change you know that right? And your not comparing Iraq to Libya are you?

[Imperial]

Oh goodie, more weapons for the Middle East. What could possibly go wrong?

Actually I think it had more to do with trying to show the EU that Europe could act independently without the nod of approval from the US. France is playing the EU game, if Libya is successful they might then use it to push for some sort of EU military integration.

It would be hard to that that since they still rely on the US being the backbone for their operations.

[Principe Alessandro]

It would be hard to that that since they still rely on the US being the backbone for their operations.

You can stop here, you aren't the backbone of anything, right now there is only one US warship deployed.

Stop dreaming. This is a EU war.

[Imperial]

You can stop here, you aren't the backbone of anything, right now there is only one US warship deployed.

Stop dreaming. This is a EU war.

And maybe we aren't flying the bulk of combat sorties anymore, but the U.S. is now providing nearly 80 percent of all air refueling, almost 75 percent of aerial surveillance hours and 100 percent of all electronic warfare missions.

http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/t...nscriptid=4803

Without fuel jets don' fly, without recon surveillance you don't know what to attack. There are more to war then just bombing random things, and that's about all France and Britain can do right now.

[Principe Alessandro]

http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/t...nscriptid=4803

Date of the article: March 28, 2011

And admire the mighty help that US is currently giving:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...eployed_forces

Without fuel jets don' fly, without recon surveillance you don't know what to attack. There are more to war then just bombing random things, and that's about all France and Britain can do right now.

France, Italy and UK have already deployed tankers, Sweden is providing most of the recon missions with Italy, AWACS are already in place (in particular the NATO ones) and the UK SAS are operative in spotting and lighting the ground targets.

[Imperial]

Date of the article: March 28, 2011

And admire the mighty help that US is currently giving:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...eployed_forces



France, Italy and UK have already deployed tankers, Sweden is providing most of the recon missions with Italy, AWACS are already in place (in particular the NATO ones) and the UK SAS are operative in spotting and lighting the ground targets.

If you actually read the article, it addresses that the support is still under US command. Unified Protector only lists those that are under NATO command.

You all saw the announcement yesterday that NATO will assume command of the entire mission in the next few days, having already assumed command last week of the maritime embargo mission and this past weekend of the no-fly zone enforcement

Also, anouther source:

US military officials had previously said about 50 combat jets had been pulled back after the handover to NATO, and that air strikes would be carried out by allies while the United States would provide refueling and surveillance aircraft.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...2f79d0dd27f.31

[Hmmm]

Date of the article: March 28, 2011

And admire the mighty help that US is currently giving:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...eployed_forces



France, Italy and UK have already deployed tankers, Sweden is providing most of the recon missions with Italy, AWACS are already in place (in particular the NATO ones) and the UK SAS are operative in spotting and lighting the ground targets.

It is interesting to see that you only seem to be considering what aid the US is currently giving to the operation, without taking into account how important they were during the opening stages of the intervention - that includes the elimination of Libyan anti-air capabilities. Its actually quite sad to see the "independent" and "powerful" European militaries take over command over an area that is literally in our own backyard, only after we recieved aid from the US in softening up Libyas defences.

[mrmouth]

I dont know why anyone would want to take ownership of this cluster. Wish they would start republishing all the articles about the US' unique ability to get itself into quagmires.

Who is providing the munitions to drop? Who is providing the command ship? I dont think Gates is going to go out of his way to spank our allies unless it was because we are expending money and resources doing some of the basic things they found themselves unable to do even 30 days into this thing. That isn't gloating - its astonishment.

And Richard Engel (NBC), having just returned from Libya, mistakenly named dropped the CIA having people on the ground in Libya, on the Bill Maher show last Friday night.

[The Gurkhan]

This is a EU war.

All the more reason for true patriotic Europeans to oppose it.

[Richard]

All the more reason for true patriotic Europeans to oppose it.

Should most true patriotic Europeans not mind their own business in that case instead of caring what their neighbours do? Isn't that kinda unpatriotic? Why would people from other countries protesting France and the UK's actions be patriotism?

Except they're not doing it under any sort of EU banner so splitting it into EU-US contributions is arbitrary and largely pointless. This is NATO a + few other allies.
Also, Norway isn't even in the EU.