Libyan TV Shows Captured Dutch Helicopter Crew [VIDEO]

Libyan TV Shows Captured Dutch Helicopter Crew [VIDEO]

www.aolnews.com

Libyan state TV today broadcast footage of a Dutch naval helicopter crew who were captured by pro-government militias while trying to evacuate European citizens from the conflict-torn country.

Forces loyal to beleaguered dictator Moammar Gadhafi seized the three-member crew -- two men and one woman -- together with two evacuees near the coastal city of Sirte on Sunday. The evacuees, a Dutch man and a Swedish woman, were allowed to leave the country, but the aircrew is still being held at an unknown location.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I thought I'd toss this up. I did a quick search and found zip.

Interesting turn of events. I hope the pilot and crew will be safe during this troubling time in Libya.

I wonder if the Russian will say this is fake as well?
From the article...

"The Dutch Defense Ministry insists that the crew was simply carrying out a "consular evacuation." However, Libyan authorities have attempted to cast doubt on that claim."



www.aolnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Ya know... before folks start screaming about this being the first step in a US lead invasion force I have to point out this was a Dutch Heli-whopper trying to evacuate Europeans...

Brave crew too... flying into that nightmare... Think they'll hold them all hostage until Moammar Gadhafi gets a few tons of chocolate as ransom?

reply to post by DaddyBare


It was an invasion!

I wonder how long they'll be in Libyan custody?
They should just release them and the people they were trying to extract.

i wonder how the uk or the usa would take it if a foreign heli came into their nation and started flying people out without any permits etc.... i mean look what happened to the cuban 5 and they wern't flying around in military equipment. if these guys get released in less than a year then it will show that libya has less extreme foreign policys than many of the more developed western nations but undoubtably this incident will be used to paint ghaddafi in an even darker light.

I doubt that Gaddafi will release them any time soon, he will want to get full mileage of their propaganda value at home. It would be stupid to have them charged or otherwise put their lives at risk because that is inviting military action, he can make accusations all he likes but he has to maintain a happy medium.

It wasn’t a particularly good idea to attempt such a noisy rescue without permission in Gaddafi’s hometown. Having said that, the second it looks bad for them I say let the door-kicking commence!

reply to post by lewman


Well since you brought up Cuba

I wonder how many nations would take in a huge exodus like the US did from a country even considering the fact that Fidel opened his jails and sent them along as well. The US still took them in-spite of that fact.

On-topic.

They were there looking after their own people.
Every Government has that responsibility!

reply to post by lewman


we get Mexican Heli-whoppers and fixed wing aircraft intruding on our air space every day...
Most times we track them to their landing point where the cops have a nice long talk, if their smugglers yeah they go to jail... sometimes their are intercepted by our border patrol and escorted back to where they belong...

SOP is to deport not to parade in front of a news crew

reply to post by DaddyBare


i understand you may have smuggling problems but a military aircraft from a non bordering country is a bit of a different story imo.

Hypothetically only, if the U.S forces invade/occupy Libya, that would mean an extensive amount of our warships and other military would be able to substantiate their presence in the suez strait. In effect, although they would portray this as "protective" measures, it would in fact be the equivelant of taking control of the canal.
Control of trade and the ability to profit off of passage fees, may ensure the US. presence over there for the next hundred years (like the panama canal escapades). Just a theory and opinion.

Originally posted by lewman
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

i understand you may have smuggling problems but a military aircraft from a non bordering country is a bit of a different story imo.

Daddybare is right and often it is military aircraft from a non-bordering countries we catch trying to bring in drugs and illegles. they come from all over south and central america heck its wasnt that long ago the coast guard captured a submarine...

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

It was an invasion!

I wonder how long they'll be in Libyan custody?
They should just release them and the people they were trying to extract.

In the last sentence of your op quoted text it says the people were allowed to leave. They are only holding the aircrew as they have illegally entered Libya. Every country on the planet would likely take into custody any aircraft pilots that illegally enter that country, would they not?

reply to post by PplVSNWO


As Daddybare already pointed out we do that almost daily catch and release.

Originally posted by flashcube
Hypothetically only, if the U.S forces invade/occupy Libya, that would mean an extensive amount of our warships and other military would be able to substantiate their presence in the suez strait. In effect, although they would portray this as "protective" measures, it would in fact be the equivelant of taking control of the canal.
Control of trade and the ability to profit off of passage fees, may ensure the US. presence over there for the next hundred years (like the panama canal escapades). Just a theory and opinion.

Suez isn't Libyan, it's Egyptian. If we were gonna seize Suez, the Egyptian insurrection would have been the one to meddle in.

The Panama Canal was BUILT by the US, and Dhimmi Carter (the best president Panama EVER had!) Gave it to them gratis before the lease on the area it was constructed through was up. A bit of a different case.

I'm all for letting LIbyans sort this mess out themselves, no US intervention at all. The ONLY exception to that would be exfiltration of US nationals, and I'd sure as hell be going in hot and ready to rumble for that extraction. If, during the extraction, the Libyans didn't start no crap, there'd BE no crap. One completed, I'd then get the hell out of dodge and let 'em eat each other. If they DID start any crap I'd erase every living non-US thing in a certain radius, and keep that area as a free-fire zone until the extraction was complete, THEN leave, and let 'em eat each other.

Not that my ideas on how things ought to go carry any weight in the Halls of Power.

If other countries wanted to jump into the swamp and stir up the muck, that would be on THEIR dime,

reply to post by Soshh


I agree it's all for show. The propaganda mills on all sides are grinding away. I take everything I read and hear on this topic with a grain of salt.

Ok, forgive my ignorance here.... this is an attempt to learn something about the situation... so be easy...

I did some searching around to see if I could get any info on any kind of Russian reaction to the situation and I found this article that states that the helicopter was from the Hr. Ms. Tromp that stationed itself off the Libian coast on 2/24/11.

The Lynx helicopter of the Hr. Ms. Tromp air defense and command frigate (LCF) was captured by a Libyan unit loyal to Muammar Kaddafi while on a "consular evacuation operation" in Sirte.

Sourced Article

It also shows a RNLAF C-130 on an airstrip in Tripoli that was there for the evac of nationals

Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) C-130 and KDC-10 aircraft have successfully evacuated Dutch and other citizens from Libya.

So my question is this... would not the 'permission' then be implied also to the helicopter as it would apply to a rescue operation the same as the C-130? Or does 'permission' have to be obtained for each individual rescue/evac operation?

See what happens when you send in your military assets.

This Happens.

I do hope gadaffe, does not torture them, that will only fall into the hands of those who wants demonise everything he does. That is why the UK should not be poking its nose where it is not wanted. Will end up with UK military personel being caught and held as barganing tools. After all what does Gadaffe have to loose? Answer Nothing.

That captured Eurocopter will fetch big money for Kadafi from either Russia or China.
If Kadafi has any brains he'll sell it and sell it quick....then again Kadafi ain't running on a full tank.

Originally posted by Pervius
That captured Eurocopter will fetch big money for Kadafi from either Russia or China.
If Kadafi has any brains he'll sell it and sell it quick....then again Kadafi ain't running on a full tank.

Eh? It was a Westland Lynx. These babies are at the process of being replaced by NH90s anyway. Experts predict Gadaffi will use the crew to portray the West as the evil power intervening in internal affairs. The Dutch government remains relatively silent on the situation to avoid harming the negotiation process.

It seems the crew is being treated respectfully, I just hope these will keep their hands off the pilot, who happens to be a hot girl.