So
What does that leave us with.
Probably increased acts/attempts of terrorism in Europe and the US. Why would you go after the leader of a country and not use a big enough bomb to get the job done is beyond me.
A wounded (either physically or mentally) man is a sight to behold...especially if that man has the means to strike back at the person(s) that caused him that pain.
The leader of Libya has the means to strike back at the West. Financially---thru oil---and murderously---thru terrorist organizations that he's backed.
This my friends will end badly.
UPDATE*
A commenter named "me" stated that Belmont Club Blog stated that its being reported that a GBU-28 was found (unexploded) at the site and that indicates that the US dropped the bomb. My question is this...if our allies requested a bunker buster, do you think that the Pentagon would deny the transfer? Not bloody likely. Additionally, I don't know how good journalist are at weapons recognition but I've met many that didn't even know the difference between a magazine and a clip, much less a Mk82 and a GBU-28.
The REALLY rotten side-effect of all this, is that it acts as an example for all those other (Arab) dictators - such as Assad in Syria.
ReplyDeleteThey will see that when NATO gets involved their local uprising will turn into an international, personal direct attack on them, only strenghtening their resolve and repression.
It will also increase anti-Western sentiment among the Arab people as a whole - the West "once again" attacking "innocents" trying to meddle into internal Arab affairs.
Yup, this will backfire.
I'm thinking now that they will eventually take him out with a Hellfire before the elections.
ReplyDeleteI'm worried about the rebels and their al-Queda friends who will be left, who are now in possession of manpads and all kind of Libyan government gear. Hillary Clinton, Susan Powers, and the President are not thinking far enough ahead.
Inferior Arms Hobble Rebels in Libya War
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/africa/21rebels.html?_r=1
don't get me started on "Ms" Powers...Hillary knows better but i guess stayed quiet...Obama got rolled by Sarkozy....this is just a clusterfuck in the making.
ReplyDeleteBelmont Club has a picture from the Washington Post of what he says is an unexploded GBU-28. If he's correct then this was dropped by an F-15E or B-2.
ReplyDeleteYou see it at 1:08 in the video.
ReplyDeletepure conjecture. we lend or give weapons to our allies all the time. do you think that if the French or British requested a bunker buster that the Pentagon would say no?
ReplyDeletei don't freaking think so!
Do the Brits or French have any planes that can carry or are cleared to drop a GBU-28 class weapon? If that's what it is of course. Only planes that I know of are the B-2, F-15E, and the F-15I (we sold Israel about 200 bombs.
ReplyDeleteI can see Barry or the 3 witches thinking that if they could solve the 'problem' with a single stroke then go for it. The explosion would destroy all evideance. It didn't go off so here we are.
Regardless of who dropped it, they missed and now we wait the fallout.
it matters how long this thing has been in the works. was it planned shortly after this conflict began to do a decapitation strike?
ReplyDeleteif so then the Brits train enough in Arizona and California (out in the deserts) to have cleared a Tornado Fighter Bomber to do the mission...and after seeing how big those runway denial weapon pods they used to carry were, i don't see a GBU-28 being that big a deal.
If the Brits had integrated GBU-28 with the Tornado, I'm pretty sure it would've been announced.
ReplyDeleteAre we sure that's what did this? Or was it just a few Paveway IVs?
Easy enough to resolve. Does the Tornado have any 5000lb rated hardpoints? Does the Rafale or Eurofighter? They've already used F-15Es in theater so to me that makes the most sense. If it's actually a GBU-28. (The angle makes it less than obvious.)
ReplyDeleteWhat is with the "OMG they missed, it's the end of the world!!!" attitude? In '86 they killed his daughter in an attempt to get him and Khadaffy STFU for years after. Grow a pair people.
ReplyDeleteNear the end of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqLmNtFV6_E&feature=player_embedded they have a better view of it. Guy is wiping some of the dust off but it ends before you can see any serial numbers.
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ReplyDelete@me: That looks more like one but I'm still on the fence a bit. The warhead of the GBU-28/37 is *long*.
ReplyDeleteThe good folks at ACIG are saying that it's an unexploded blu-109, probably fitted with a GBU-31 guidance kit. I'm not sure who we've exported that weapon to but it is cleared to fly on F-16's. So that would means any of the NATO countries flying bombing missions in Libya who operate the type would be capable of dropping it. Those include Denmark, Italy (although they haven't yet confirmed use of their F-16's) , Belgium, Norway, or the Netherlands. Additionally, if an F-16 could drop it then there's no reason to think that it couldn't also be adapted to Rafale, Mirage-2000, Super Entendard, or Tornado aircraft.
ReplyDeleteThe BLU-109 has been around forever (we used them in Desert Storm) so it wouldn't surprise me if pretty much everybody has them.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a BLU-109 to me. It's got that flare on the end where the fins attach (watching me's video).
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