Bombing heard near Benghazi - Battle of Benghazi

France is now pushing for immediate action since the battle in Benghazi

Need to move quickly on Libya: French government source

(Reuters) - The international community must act fast over the situation in Libya, a French government source said on Saturday after forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi attacked the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

"Everything is ready (to act) but the decision is now a political one. It's clear we have to move quickly," the source said, hours before France was due to host an international meeting to discuss military intervention.

Plus, the Libyan government is denying attacking Benghazi...........lies

Libyan government denies attack on Benghazi

(Reuters) - Libyan government forces are involved in no military action in or around the eastern rebel-held city of Benghazi, a government spokesman said on Saturday.

"There are no attacks whatsoever on Benghazi. As we said, we are observing the ceasefire and we want international observers to come," Mussa Ibrahim, the spokesman, told Reuters.

"There are rebels attacking villages and towns trying to instigate outside military intervention."

Clearly, the Libyan government is completely insane. No touch with reality anymore.

reply to post by catwhoknowsplusone


Tell that to the Argentinians (sp?)

reply to post by blackcat99


That "War" was simply collusion between two far-right national leaders to create the conditions needed for extreme market alterations and repression against their own people. Both Thatcher and the Argentine junta used the war as pretext for crushing the remains of their own people's labor movements.

Moot point, since it looks like the French are going in. if I were a Libyan, I would hide. When the French actually want to fight, they don't screw around. In fact they tend to go seriously overboard.

Im watching Al-Jazeera live right now and the journalist says that Gaddafi forces are moving in from the west of the city.

You can hear heavy gunfire while the guy is talking. He says a mortar/artillery shell nearly destroyed their al-jazeera car earlier.

Edit - He said a naval boat has just shown up, but it is unclear whose navy it is.

Originally posted by buni11687

Edit- I do not know what kind of plane it is

Edit 2 - Watching al jazeera live and they said the rebels have 2 mig-23's but it is still unclear what kind/whos plane it was. Gunfire and plumes of smoke can be seen by their reporters. This link is al jazeera live english.aljazeera.net...

From the picture, its either a Mig-23 or a Sukhoi Su-24. Libya has both types.

Its most certainly NOT a western aircraft, and makes a mockery of the "stand-down/cease fire" claims.

BBC News - Fighter jet 'shot down' over Benghazi

On al-jazeera live, they are saying there are reports that the plane that was brought down, was the rebels plane. Still not 100% sure, but they are saying it is a high possibility that Gaddafi shot down the rebels plane.

Now the government is saying that they are under attack by "Al Qaeda gangs."......

Libyan official media says rebels attacking army

(Reuters) - Libyan armed forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are under attack from rebels near Benghazi, Libya's state news agency said, contradicting rebel reports that troops were attacking the city.

"Al Qaeda gangs are attacking units of the armed forces which are stationary west of Benghazi," the Jana news agency said. Libyan officials describe the rebels as belonging to al Qaeda, though the rebels say that is not true.

Al Qaeda gangs.......right.....

Edit - Just found this. Gaddafi is attacking the city from 3 sides.

Libya: Gaddafi troops attacking Benghazi from 3 sides

CAIRO, March 19 (Itar-Tass) -- The units loyal to Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi are attacking Benghazi from three sides. The army units began an assault from the sea and from the south, Al-Jazeera TV Channel reports. The reports that came recently said that the army units entered the western suburbs of Benghazi, the second largest city of the country held by the insurgents, after massive shelling and air strikes.

I took a screenshot of the al-jazeera live video of Benghazi

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3b9b72c3fac9.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c2e05e26f188.jpg[/atsimg]


it looks like a mig 23 .

if Gaddafi forces are moving in to Benghazi on 3 sides then the cease fire was just a ploy to move more troops and assets into position for the final assault on the city.

I knew Gaddafi's ceasefire was too good to be true, it was probably just a distraction to give him time to get bunkered up before he lets loose his mad mans wrath on his country. I can only see this going one way now and we shouldnt be holding back because of promises from a mad man, we need to get the job done and now.

reply to post by oddnutz


Yep, I agree - Mig 23. Not bad!

It looks like Gaddafi may be getting ready to assault Misurata now to.

blogs.aljazeera.net...

1:08pm Libyan forces loyal to Gaddafi fired artillery shells into the rebel-held city of Misurata and water supplies were still cut off, a resident said.

"They (Gaddafi's forces) bombed the town with four or five artillery shells in the early hours today. The situation is relatively calm now. But they are still on the outskirts of the town, and water to Misrata is still cut off," the resident, called Mohammed, told Reuters by telephone from the city.

Not a mig 23 I think because it has two little stabilizer wings on the nose, you can see that from the photograph that was taken and blown op. An mig 23 does not have those stabilzers on it's nose for as far as I know.

this whas shot down on the 17th, not the same as the one that went down today ( don't mean they need to be )




the above plane is a French one. So it's not a French plane that they shot down this time?, and it does not look "entirely" like a mig.. I could not find any pictures of a plain that looked like that with those stabilizers on the nose.

Originally posted by Wolfcomplex
Not a mig 23 I think because it has two little stabilizer wings on the nose, you can see that from the photograph

Its not stabilisers. Its a streetlight.

Look again.

reply to post by neformore


Hmm yes your right. Than its a mig23 has to be. Probably the reason that I could not find anything that fit what I thought I saw. Thx for pointing it out!

reply to post by blackcat99


I had the same thought. Not making light of the situation, but I was wondering if a Libyian version of Bahgdad Bob would show up. Perhaps Gaddafi himself (Tripoli Tom).