Libya: Rebels 'Die In Western Air Strike'

[Bosonic]

Source: Sky News

Libya's rebel force has claimed 10 of their fighters were killed in a coalition air strike near Brega in the country's east.

Brega is one of a string of oil towns along the coast that have been won and lost, taken and re-taken, in recent weeks.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Video-Libya-Rebels-Die-In-Western-Air-Strike-Near-Brega/Article/201104115964545?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15964545_Video_Libya%3A_Rebels_Die_In_Western_Air_Strike_Near_Brega

[dipsydoodle]

1. "their aircraft"

So much for a no fly zone.

And for the time being and until partitioned , Libya is Libya so how does anybody "sneak" anywhere ?

[ixion]

2. Hey, we just do the liberating

staying out of the destructive path of our liberation is the problem of the liberated. :sarcasm:

[dipsydoodle]

3. aka

tragic farce.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Huffington link

Most blamed a Gaddafi agent for deliberately drawing the friendly fire but some said other rebels had shot into the air by accident.

"The rebels shot up in the air and the alliance came and bombed them. We are the ones who made the mistake," said one fighter who did not give his name.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/02/western-air-strike-kills-rebels_n_843937.html

[joshcryer]

7. I think the "blaming Gaddafi agents" thing comes from their own insecurity.

They know they're a rag tag bunch, and they need to blame a phantom for their mistakes. Shame that the NATO forces felt that they were a threat though. :(

[dipsydoodle]

13. It was their own fault according to the BBC :

The rebels were on their way to Brega when they fired into the air with an anti-aircraft gun, the BBC's Nick Springate reported from the scene of the attack.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12944905

[joshcryer]

14. It sends a strong message about firing bullets into the air indiscriminatly.

I expect there to be a lot of chastising for people doing that now, there was before, but this time it's underlined with "if you shoot into the sky you can get us all killed!" Will make celebrating rebels think twice.

Not to say that this isn't a tragedy though.

[dipsydoodle]

16. I posted on that subject

in the Guns Forum quite innocently not realising it can't be used for that purpose so it was locked after a while. That was a few weeks back after some reporters over there in Libya had pointed that the bullets from celebratory fire had to land somewhere.

[joshcryer]

17. I have made several comments before about rebels's holding their finger on the trigger...

...during interviews. It's really alarming to say the least. Shows that they (the people doing this anyway) are highly highly untrained. In one video a rebel PUT THE GUN TO HIS HEAD while his FINGER WAS ON THE TRIGGER. I shuddered when I saw that. I actually sensed (personal feeling) that his finger tensed a bit when he put the gun to his head. WTF! One wrong move, dead, dude!

[jakeXT]

26. It's the NATO wedding reaction nt

[aquart]

5. And we all hope it won't happen again.

[joshcryer]

6. :(

Sounds like they were either being stupid or their allegation that a pro-Gaddafi fighter infiltrated. There's no fucking reason to be using anti-air (NFZ is in place, no planes in the sky are Gaddafi's).

I'm trending toward the former because I don't think the freedom fighters are disciplined as yet.

[TomClash]

8. 'Libyan rebels killed in NATO air strike'

Source: Al Jazeera

Pro-democracy forces in Libya say at least seven of their fighters have been killed in a NATO air strike on the outskirts of the eastern town of Brega, as the battle rages on for control of the oil port.

NATO said on Saturday that it is investigating reports that a coalition warplane struck pro-democracy forces near the front line of the battle with fighters loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Burnt out husks of at least four vehicles, including an ambulance, were seen by the side of the road near the eastern entrance to the oil town on Saturday, the Reuters news agency reported. Men prayed at freshly dug graves nearby as they buried their colleagues.

"Some of Gaddafi's forces sneaked in among the rebels and fired anti-aircraft guns in the air," Mustafa Ali Omar, a pro-democracy fighter said. "After that the NATO forces came and bombed them."

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/04/2011428562838677.html

---

More likely the fog of war.

[timo]

9. ooooopppppppssssiiieeeeeee

a little more blood on obamas hands!!

[4lbs]

15. How? NATO planes, not US planes. It was all French and British on this one.

[joshcryer]

30. Yep, none of our planes have flown since two days ago.

[meow mix]

10. they wanted a fighting chance, Huda Ben would have them hung

would you rather watch that on the youtube?

[TomClash]

11. I don't watch killing

I've seen enough for a lifetime.

[EFerrari]

19. It's a much better death when NATO kills them, eh?

[Union Scribe]

28. Natch. When we kill them, the strewn corpses spell out 'thank you'

I hear our bombs are up to %8 less painful, also.

[joshcryer]

12. Dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4797828

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. High fives, chest bumps, end-zone dances

The rebels need to find new ways to celebrate.

Shooting tracers into the air when there are fighter planes up there, bad idea.

Not to mention that it's a waste of ammo, duh.

:wtf:

[Enrique]

20. i keep hearing how our military going to be training the Libyans

maybe this is the first lesson: What not to do.

[ProudDad]

21. Surprise, surprise, surprise!!

Bombs don't give a shit who they kill...

[L. Coyote]

22. 'Libyan rebels killed in NATO air strike'

Source: Al Jazeera English - 02 Apr 2011 11:19

NATO investigating reports that coalition jet struck pro-democracy forces in country's east, killing at least 10.

Pro-democracy forces in Libya say at least 10 of their fighters have been killed in a NATO air strike on the outskirts of the eastern town of Brega, as the battle rages on for control of the oil port.

NATO said on Saturday that it is investigating reports that a coalition warplane struck pro-democracy forces near the front line of the battle with fighters loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Burnt out hulks of at least four vehicles, including an ambulance, were seen by the side of the road near the eastern entrance to the oil town on Saturday, the Reuters news agency reported. Men prayed at freshly dug graves nearby as they buried their colleagues.

.............

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/04/2011428562838677.html

---

Who knew this would happen? :sarcasm:

[dkf]

23. Guess it's hard to tell one group of armed people from another.

Easier to see who is armed, who is not armed, and shoot the ones with the weapons. That is why it will take coordinated efforts with our air force and their "ground troops" and probably ours to militarily defeat Gaddafi.

Did Obama really understand what he was getting us in to?

[amandabeech]

29. You got to wonder on what anyone understood.

We are withdrawing, and the rebels will be relying on the rest of NATO.

We'll see how that goes.

[Siouxmealso]

24. So now they're "pro-democracy forces"

instead of "rebels." I guess pro-democracy forces sounds better.

[joshcryer]

25. Dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4797828

I wonder if we can make a record for dupes. :hi:

[jzodda]

27. not surprising

since the rebels have no way yet to coordinate their actions with NATO aircraft. I'm surprised it took this long. Close combat air support for rebels who are not even a cohesive fighting force.

They need NATO teams attached to rebels units who can call in strikes. The problem is that there seems to be no "units" that they can assist yet just mobs of civilians with guns. I'll say this for these rebels-they sure are brave. It takes guts without military training to pick up a gun and head to a front to fight well trained thugs who want to kill you.