Libya: SAS veterans helping Nato identify Gaddafi targets in Misrata

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Former SAS soldiers and other western employees of private security companies are helping Nato identify targets in the Libyan port city of Misrata, the scene of heavy fighting between Gaddafi's forces and rebels, well-placed sources have told the Guardian.

Special forces veterans are passing details of the locations and movements of Muammar Gaddafi's forces to the Naples headquarters of Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, Canadian commander of Nato forces, the sources said.

The targets are then verified by spy planes and US Predator drones. "One piece of human intelligence is not enough," a source said.

The former soldiers are there with the blessing of Britain, France and other Nato countries, which have supplied them with communications equipment. They are likely to be providing information for the pilots of British and French attack helicopters, who are expected to start firing at targets in and around Misrata this week.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/libya-sas-veterans-misrata-rebels

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Also embedded this Al-Jazeera video "Libyan rebels continue to struggle"

[westerebus]

1. Oh say can you see

that Qaddafi tank column

aglow in laser light?

A call to the angels above

will put an end to their plight.

A press of the key on the mike

and it's the flight leader who calls

to remark.

Confirmed, target is in sight.

One minute later and there's a different glow to the night.

[jakeXT]

2. Outsourcing everywhere, plus plausible deniability while wearing pink tourist t-shirts

[western mass]

3. The latest euphemism for "mercenaries"

Even the left-leaning Guardian isn't willing to use the proper name for them.

[Lars77]

4. Libya: SAS veterans helping Nato identify Gaddafi targets in Misrata

Source: The Guardian

Former SAS soldiers and other western employees of private security companies are helping Nato identify targets in the Libyan port city of Misrata, the scene of heavy fighting between Muammar Gaddafi's forces and rebels, well-placed sources have told the Guardian.

Special forces veterans are passing details of the locations and movements of Gaddafi's forces to the Naples headquarters of Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, Canadian commander of Nato forces, the sources said.

The targets are then verified by spy planes and US Predator drones. "One piece of human intelligence is not enough," a source said.

The former soldiers are there with the blessing of Britain, France and other Nato countries, which have supplied them with communications equipment. They are likely to be providing information for the pilots of British and French attack helicopters, who are expected to start firing at targets in and around Misrata this week.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/libya-sas-veterans-misrata-rebels

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So that's how they got troops on the ground without violating the UN's guidelines. Should have known.

[ChrisBorg]

5. Letter of the law.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. At least there's no current, active-duty, uniformed

boots on the ground.

But weren't the rebels complaining about all the foreign mercenaries?

Or maybe they were only complaining about "their" foreign mercs, not "our" foreign mercs.

:hi:

[tuckessee]

7. It's things like this that put Western civilians & reporters at risk.

Actually makes them legitimate targets if it can be proven that mercenaries paid for by a foreign power are dressing/posing/acting as non-comabatants.

[Kayso]

8. Come on

Did you really think they didn't have troops on the ground in one for or another? Someone has to designate the targets. They aren't going to trust the locals to do that.