Two Libyan fighter jets arrive in Malta

[maddezmom]

Source: Times of Malta

Two Libyan fighter jets arrive in Malta
Two fighters, believed to be Libyan Air Force Mirage jets, have arrived in Malta and landed at MIA.

Their arrival followed shortly after the arrival of two civilian helicopters which flew in and landed at Malta International Airport this afternoon carrying seven people.

Informed sources said the helicopters 'escaped from Libya with no official clearance' but arrived in Malta regularly.

Such was the haste of their departure from Libya, that only one of the passengers was carrying a passport, informed sources said. The passengers claimed they are French.



Read more: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110221/local/two-libyan-fighter-jets-arrive-in-malta-two-helicopters-land

[old mark]

1. K&R-For decades, Mr. Gadhaffi has been saying he rules for the people of Lybia...

evidently they don't think so. I wish them the best and I think this may be a struggle to watch very closely.

mark

[bemildred]

2. Not business as usual today. nt

[maddezmom]

3. Al Jaz reporting the pilots are Sr. Col's from the Libyan Airforce...defected because they were

ordered to bomb protesters in Benghazi.

[maddezmom]

4. Libya air force jets in Malta, pilots seek asylum

Libya air force jets in Malta, pilots seek asylum
By GEORGE CINI
ASSOCIATED PRESS

VALLETTA, Malta -- Two Libyan air force jets have arrived in Malta and military officials say their pilots have asked for political asylum amid a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters in Libya.

The two Mirage jets arrived Monday shortly after two civilian helicopters landed at the airport carrying seven people who said they were French.

A military source familiar with the situation said the jet pilots, Libyan air force colonels, were allowed to land after they communicated from the air that they wanted asylum. They had left from a base near Tripoli and had flown low over

more: http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1103ap_eu_malta_libya.html

[Canuckistanian]

5. Libya Air Force Jets In Malta, Pilots Seek Asylum

Source: NPR

Two Libyan air force jets landed in Malta on Monday and their pilots asked for political asylum amid a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters in Libya, a military source said.

The two Mirage jets landed at Malta International Airport shortly after two civilian helicopters landed carrying seven people who said they were French. A military source familiar with the situation said the passengers had left in such a hurry that only one had a passport.

The source, who insisted he not be identified further, said the jet pilots — both Libyan air force colonels — had communicated from the air that they wanted political asylum. They had left from a base near Tripoli and had flown low over Libyan airspace to avoid detection, the source said.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133940091

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Buh-bye, Moammar

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. So the question is, were they running away from Khadaffi

or from the people?

[dipsydoodle]

7. According to Al Jazeera

they had been ordered to open fire on the protesters and considered it expedient to ignore the order and piss off instead. They landed in Malta without any warning - just took pot luck.

[uppityperson]

9. Good for them for defecting rather than firing on protestors. And good luck to them.

[OnlinePoker]

8. You don't get to be a Colonel in a regime like Khadaffi's without getting your hands dirty. n/t

[Exultant Democracy]

10. Well obviously there was a line they wouldn't cross, and they deserve to be commended

far too many people just follow orders.

[Posteritatis]

11. Possibly anyway

Since the place had been mostly stable until, well, this week, I imagine the air force could go a pretty long time without having terribly much to do, compared to the army or the security forces.

[EFerrari]

12. They weren't running at all. They were refusing to bomb their own people.

I hope more follow their example.

[The abyss]

13. That is exactly what is being reported here...

Libya defectors: Pilots told to bomb protesters flee to Malta


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/21/libya-pilots-flee-to-malta

Two high-ranking Libyan air force pilots have who fled to Malta in their aircraft are reported to have told officials they escaped rather than carry out orders to bomb civilians.

The officers defected as Libyan diplomats in several countries and international organisations resigned in protest at the regime's violent response to the deepening crisis. They included Muammar Gaddafi's ambassadors to China, India, Indonesia and Poland, as well as Libya's representative to the Arab League and most, if not all, of its mission at the United Nations.

Omar Jelban, head of the London People's Bureau, flatly denied an al-Jazeera report he too had quit. Jelban was earlier called to the Foreign Office to hear what William Hague, the foreign secretary, called "our absolute condemnation of the use of lethal force against demonstrators".

[suffragette]

14. + 1,000

[joshcryer]

16. For every one that disobeys there will be ten mercs who will do it for pay.

[roamer65]

15. Looks like they didn't want a court date in the Hague.

They've seen what happened to Milosevic and Karadzic and apparently want no part of it.

[DeSwiss]

17. K&R n/t