Diplomats and Executives Evacuate Libya as Former Government Takes Tripoli Back With Military

Here are higher resolution images of the US Marine evacuation that landed at Janzour. We can see there is an LAV-25 amphibious armored recon vehicle inside, just in case! Im betting these were the NSA, CIA and DIA guys at their situation room for Libya. Maybe someone from British intel as well.


We can see our NBC and CBS primetime dramas unfolding raw before it is spun into 1-3 seasons of award winning fiction.

Hopefully you guys picked everything up! Last thing we need is a loose forgotten flash drive laying around. Or maybe we drop bait and set up an ambush?? I'm ok with a stealth air strikes on the SA-6's, may as well force whichever side wins to upgrade their defense contracts 😉

Good riddance Muslim Brotherhood. Hopefully Libya can sue certain parties to get some of their gold back and rebuild some of their at one time excellent infrastructure.

Video from April 9 shows that the GNA captured some young males of the LNA, some or many appear to be minors. This could lend some credibility to the accusations that General Haftar has been conscripting child soldiers.

Also South front presents a report of an IL-39 GNA plane shot down by the 166th Brigade of the LNA on April 10th, likely from AA gun fire.
I infer that because this low flying armed trainer jet was shot down with AA gun fire, that it is very likely neither of the SA-6's in possession by both sides is functional. However, images showing up in social media also show some MANPAD's as well in the possession of the LNA themselves.

Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ
‏ @CalibreObscura

LNA fighter, #Libya with 9K32 Strela-2 MANPADS & 1PN79-M, 1P45-1 sights for 9M133 Kornet in front of a Streit Cougar.

The presence of 1PN79-M thermal optics is actually quite curious, as Gaddafi's Kornets were not afaik delivered w/ them, meaning that it was externally supplied
Given that Haftar's LNA has a number of benefactors that could supply modern Kornets with new-manufacture thermal optics, it's not clear where this could be from. It is green, not sand-coloured however 😉

The GNA also captured some spoils of war from the LNA. A handful of ATGM's.

Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ
‏ @CalibreObscura
Apr 10

Some ghanimah captured from the LNA around #Tripoli

- 9M111-2 Fagot (AT-4B), improved version of 9M111 Soviet ATGM
- 9P135 series launcher for the aforementioned ATGM

Quite a few 9K111 systems in #Libya, but quite rare to see in use!

#Libya- brief recap of #Tripoli theater so far:
*April 4: offensive begins
*5-7: rapid LNA advances, opposing forces launch counter-offensives
*8: offensive stalls, airstrike on Mitiga Airport leads to airstrikes all over
*9-10: back & forth advances by all sides
*11: stalemate

A more clear picture is developing now of the outside influences to this conflict. Wall Street Journal reports that Saudi Arabia (KSA) jump started the entire conflict with tens of millions of dollars subsidy to General Haftar and the LNA, while the New York Times reports that France is blocking any EU calls to stop the offensive.

Days before Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to seize the capital and attempt to unite the divided country under his rule, Saudi Arabia promised tens of millions of dollars to help pay for the operation, according to senior advisers to the Saudi government.

The offer came during a visit to Saudi Arabia that was just one of several meetings Mr. Haftar had with foreign dignitaries in the weeks and days before he began the military campaign on April 4.

PC member Amari confirms support of the US, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Kuwait to the government in Tripoli

France blocked the draft statement, which was drawn up in Brussels, through a process by which individual EU member governments could voice objections. The EU will now try to draw up a new text on which everyone can agree.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday the bloc was united in calling for a truce and a return to diplomacy in Libya.
The EU draft statement would have said that "hostilities must cease immediately, the LNA must withdraw and the humanitarian truces called by the U.N. must be heeded."

The EU would also have asked "international and regional partners to exert their influence and send an unequivocal message to the aggressors that there is no military solution to the crisis, only a political one," according to the draft.
France and Italy disagree on how to handle the latest escalation in the troubled north African country.

France, which has oil assets in eastern Libya, has provided military assistance in past years to Haftar in his eastern stronghold, Libyan and French officials say..

Italy, the former colonial power and a big player in Libya's oil sector, has supported the U.N.-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

Paris and Rome are kind of reminding me right now of the guys from Trading places. They are betting on a winner, probably over a dollar.

a reply to: worldstarcountry
I read somewhere that France was encouraging the UN-backed leader to stay in Tripoli and fight it out.




After reading this ^^^ it sounds like they're actively trying to get him killed.

Hmmmm

Where is the American Media on this?

This is more news worthy than anything they have reported on in the last year at least, and yet nothing.

After what happened during the past week, it is clear that ITALY is running and financing Haftar in Libya , more than anybody else ...

An F1 Mirage was brought down south of Tripoli over a town called Al-Hirah. I will put that in its own thread in the airplane forum for further analysis. Would be interesting to know what specifically brought it down. A PMC of unknown origin claims to be from Portugal with an alias of Jimmy Reese. Has a pretty cool tattoo on his back though. Are those Dragons fighting?? Quite fitting for the combat zone he is in. A fake facebook page also popped up claiming that he was monitoring illegal immigration for some European agency. Info-wars is real son.

Sucks that he has to go through the worse elements of the job description. He will be a POW for a year maybe and then they send him home. Maybe negotiate his release or something. They seem to betreating him with some decency. Count your blessings, take that money when your free, find yourself a nice woman and make lots of babies at a nice home on the water. But do not sign another contract!

The Libya Times published a set of scans showing a public strategy firm, Mercury llc, lobbying on behalf of the GNA interests, including an article in the Wall Street Journal.

In GNA’s second contract with a US PR firm since Trump announced his support for Hifter, Misrata’s Ahmed Maiteeg, deputy PM of #Libya’s UN-backed govt, hired US lobbying firm, Prime Policy Group, to introduce him to members of Congress and administration officials.

Last month, following Trump’s statement in support for Hifter, the GNA signed a $1.8M contract with the US lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs and payed a $500K upfront fee. #Libya

The opinion piece placed in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal under Fayez Sarraj’s name is believed to be part of Mercury’s paid PR service. #Libya

I guess they are butting heads at the White House again.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I only just found this thread. So, after reading your OP (great one BTW), I looked to see if the LNA had succeeded in taking Tripoli and found:
www.reuters.com...

So apparently Haftar's LNA has yet to take the capitol of Tripoli.
From June 6, 2019:
www.reuters.com...

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan forces on Thursday conducted an air strike for a second night on the military section of the only functioning airport of the Libyan capital, a statement by the force said. The Libyan National Army (LNA) force of Khalifa Haftar, which controls eastern Libya, has tried to take the capital held by the internationally recognized government in a two-month offensive but has failed to breach defenses in southern suburbs.

I'm surprised at the resistance of the GNA and their success at keeping Tripoli. You'll notice that the Reuters article makes no mention at all of the Russian involvement.

I'm interested in the outcome because my father worked for an oil company operating in Libya in the 1960's and I lived and went to school there up through 1970. We lived in downtown Tripoli and lived through Ghadaffi's takeover from King Idris. Its quite amazing to think the wily Russians would be looking to influence the outcome and establish an ally for themselves in Libya.

What a great plotline for a movie!
Please to keep us up posted on events as they unfold.
Thanks
TonyS

a reply to: TonyS
Hah! I walked away due to lack of interest, even especially after the lobbying files were posted. Now if someone is reading again, I'll remember to continue the updates. Turkey has supplied apc's and other light armor to the. GNA, UAE has shipped apc's to the one as well as providing dron strikes. They have already downed several lna drones, and we'll. You see that the GNA lost a plane and a pilot is pow.

The fighting. Has gotten street to street,. It the lna militants have such #ty fire discipline I can understand why the progress is slow

I check into this stuff everyday, but do not often post due to time constraints with the way I like my posts to be, filled with images, video, and translated reports from as close to the sources as I can get.

In any case, it looks like Libya has become the next proxy battleground between Middle Eastern states, as sources have witnessed the presence now of armed Turkish drones, which by some analysts accounts means that they have moved from just logistical support to boots on the ground. Turkish and imported Chinese drones used by the Emirates are now engaged in combat sorties over the skies of Libya. The UAE has also secured plans with the government of Niger to develop a base along the border with Libya. They would be joining other foreign installations already present for defense interests by Germany, USA, and the UK. I believe there is a French base as well, but I may be thinking of their forces in Mali.

Plus I got lots of family stuff to do during the summer , and I got a big family! I will continue though to provide updates including images and videos, as infrequent as they may be.

Ok well I can at least post this. The Russian produced Pantiser S-1 mobile air defense system was spotted in LNA deployment on June 18. It was confirmed on June 19, and the GNA claimed to have destroyed one or more of the systems during an airstrike. This system was likely provided by the UAE as it looks like theirs, they have them in stock, and they are a confirmed supplier to the LNA for equipment and other logistics.

Mahmoud Gamal
‏ @mahmouedgamal44
Jun 18

#Russian medium-range Pantiser S-1 mobile air defense batteries appeared with #LNA preparing to participate in #Tripoli battle.

This air defense system is being used with the same camouflage & vehicle by the #UAE

Photos circulating on Libyan FB Pages claimed to be for the New Pantisr S-1 mobile air defense system upon its arrival in Gufra air base through UAE Military Transport aircraft.

#Exclusive photo for Pantsir S-1 mobile air defense system (Emirati supplied) with #LNA

Well someone got a decent shot of a Turkish UAV flying in the skies above Tripoli. These drones run support ops and surveillance for the GLA side.

Oded Berkowitz
‏ @Oded121351

#Libya- new photo purportedly showing Bayraktar TB2 UAV (made by #Turkey) in support of #GNA over #Tripoli

The same analyst had some photos of Mitiga airport after a recent shelling attack.


There is also wreckage from a plane that was hit by an RPG during a GLA assault against the LNA held Tripoli airport.

Also Italian and Turkey air force patrol the skies in the area.

Yörük Işık
‏Verified account @YorukIsik

Earlier today: Italian Air Force ATR72 MPA MM62298 climbs out of Tripoli Libya while Turkish Air Force’s Konya based 131st Squadron’s Boeing 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle monitors Sirte bay & Northern Libya.

I've been trying to keep up with which side suppports which and this is about what came up:

Government of National Accord (GNA, UN-backed): *AlQuaeda & Muslim Brotherhood*
Turkey
Italy
Quatar
UK
US

Libyan National Army (LNA, (General Haftar, Lived in Virginia, CIA asset?)):
Russia
UAE
Egypt
France


Am I missing anyone?

The way this looks, this thing can drag on for quite some time...

Oh what a week it has been! Not only for myself, but in Libya as well. On Wednesday the GNA launched a surprise offensive against a town South of Tripoli known as Gharyan, which was the primary command and control center for General Khalifa Haftar's operation to take back Tripoli. The GNA state that 35 people perished from this OP. A massive documenting of weapons platforms have been left behind as a result, including drones, guided missiles of varied international makers, even allegedly Haftar's mobile C&C room? Video


The 135th Infantry Base was taken.
It was quite the embarrassment, and his team has allegedly re-located to a town called Tarhuna southeast of Triploi? I also saw an airstrike allegedly of reprisal air-strikes by the GNA on that location, but I have not confirmed it yet. It was a worthy spectacle though. Rumors are it could have been Egyptian or Jordanian F-16's. It could have been Jesus considering all the players in Libya!


Interestingly enough, the MSM, or at least the intelligence front of WSJ, NYT did cover the events.
I guess this proves that the UN is dead, seeing as weapons from the UNSC states are all over this bitch in spite of a UN weapons embargo on Libya. I bet that would make for a great thread on its own. Official end of the UN. Money saved if you ask me.

Some LNA mercenaries were captured. Others were not so lucky.

Here is the latest entry in the Twisted Metal contest. The poster says these are Soviet S-24 missiles on a technical. Calypso only grants wishes to the winner!

So ZGoldenReport uploaded the video of that airstrike, along with some resources he pulled together on the LNA and General Haftar's declaration of war on Turkey! It does not get more World War than that!

Oded Berkowitz
‏ @Oded121351
18h18 hours ago

#Libya- a clearer picture of the Chinese GP-1 155mm Guided Artillery Shell (as pointed out by @CalibreObscura) that was found (along with the Javelins) by #GNA after #LNA retreated from #Garyan
The shell was first seen in Libya in November 2017:

clearer pictures allegedly showing the FGM-148 Javelin launchers that were picked up by #GNA in #Garyan after the #LNA's retreat.

The LNA have essentially declared war as a result of this devastating loss.

And I found a handful of more videos that correspond to the incidents and images from above.