Thread: Military Escalation: Phase 2 of the War on Libya

Military Escalation: "Phase Two" of the War on Libya

by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, June 1, 2011
many links on this post

A new phase of the war is unfolding leading to a process of military escalation as well as the eventual landing of US-NATO commandos on Libya's shores.

An unprecedented deployment of naval power in the Mediterranean is occurring.

On June 1st, the member states of the Atlantic Alliance (NATO) meeting in Brussels decided to "renew the mission", namely extend the war on Libya, "for another 90 days to late September".

Since the beginning of the war on March 19, more than 10,000 sorties have been conducted. NATO acknowledges a total of 9036 sorties, including 3443 strike sorties over a two month period, (March 31, 2011-May 31, 2011).

Military operations are no longer limited to a high altitude bombing campaign, where strike targets are "pre-approved" and planned in advance. The deployment of helicopters and low altitude air operations are envisaged. The latter are to support the deployment of US-NATO commandos and rebel forces on the ground.

What is unfolding is an escalation of military operations, which at the same time is leading to a protracted war.

The USS George H W Bush supercarrier, the most advanced vessel in the US naval arsenal, together with its strike and carrier group has entered the Mediterranean, to join up with the Sixth Fleet in Naples.

Aircraft supercarrier USS George H W Bush (CVN77) is the World's largest naval vessel: with "four-and-a-half acres of space on its flight deck, making it capable of housing 90 jets and helicopters. It is home to 5,500 crew". Equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare systems, it is the World's largest "mobile military base" (Manlio Dinucci, "Boots on the Ground": Sarkozy and Cameron Prepare to Land in Libya, Global Research, May 31, 2011).

The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group was sent on its "maiden voyage" to the Sixth Fleet area of naval operations, namely the Mediterranean. It was "certified ready for combat operations" a month before the onset of the war on Libya. USS George H.W. Bush Strike Group Certified Combat Ready, February 21, 2011)

Subduing the Enemy into Total Submission

"Freedom at Work" is the USS GHWB's "humanitarian logo"



The sheer size of the USS supercarrier George H. W. Bush, its advanced weapons systems, its destructive capabilities, not to mention its cost, are the outright expression of America's imperial ambitions run amok. Under the "Shock and Awe" doctrine, the USS George H. W Bush is intended to astound and subdue the enemy into total submission.



Military Escalation

Since the beginning of the war on March 19, more than 10,000 sorties have been conducted. NATO acknowledges a total of 9036 sorties, including 3443 strike sorties over a two month period, (March 31, 2011-May 31, 2011).

With the deployment of the USS George H. W. Bush and its Strike Carrier Group together with other allied warships, a new stage of the war is unfolding.

Military operations are no longer limited to a high altitude bombing campaign, where strike targets are "pre-approved" and planned in advance. The deployment of helicopters and low altitude air operations are envisaged. The latter are to support the deployment of US-NATO commandos and rebel forces on the ground.

Britain's HMS Ocean deployed out of Cyprus, is equipped as a Helicopter Carrier, for Apache helicopters.

The Apaches would be dispatched from HMS Ocean, Britain's largest warship. In mid-May, naval exercises were held off the coast of Cyprus involving British and Dutch navy warships with HMS Ocean playing a central role as a helicopter carrier. "The exercise included air defence practice and live firing at sea with amphibious exercises in coastal waters".

In turn, France confirmed that it would be deploying its Tiger attack helicopters.

We can therefore expect in the weeks to come a major shift in the nature of military operations; the sending in of commandos in support of land operations, with helicopters and low altitude air deployments playing an important role. (These low altitude flights would not be limited to predator drones).

The nature of air operations will, therefore, become more focussed. The stated objective is "to bring the air campaign closer to the ground". The USS GNWB supercarrier and strike group will play a key role in the implementation of the next phase of the war.

Video: USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails with strike group and NATO ships http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9dVhItm ... r_embedded

Video: USS H. W. Bush (CVN77) together with its Carrier Strike Group 2 (Source US Navy)

See also video at http://bfbs.com/news/uk/military-giant- ... 48131.html


HMS Ocean Helicopter Carrier


Apache Helicopters

Simulating the Mediterranean War Theater: The "Saxon Warrior" War Games

In the week prior to its "maiden voyage" to the Mediterranean, the USS H. W. Bush (CVN77) together with its Carrier Strike Group 2, took part in extensive war games off the coast of Cornwall (UK) under the auspices of HM Royal Navy (19-26 May 2011).

Dubbed "Exercise Saxon Warrior", the war games were carried out in a maritime environment, with the participation of British, US, French, German, Swedish and Spanish war ships. All in all, the war games involved the participation of 26 separate naval units. ( EGFE Movements » Exercise Saxon Warrior).

Of significance, the "Saxon Warrior" is among the largest war games conducted by the Royal Navy, in close liaison with the US Navy, NATO and the Pentagon:

"[They are] intended to hone the skills of the Bush Carrier Strike Group... so it can work smoothly with European forces during its current deployment. [in the Mediterranean against Libya ((M.C.)]

“The George H W Bush Strike Group is well prepared for this deployment,â€

Libya And Ivory Coast: NATO Reverts To Law Of The Jungle In Africa

by He Wenping
Global Research, June 4, 2011

-[I]t still seems too early for us to draw the conclusion that sub-Saharan Africa is immune to the chaos, especially when the West has once again chosen to intervene in others' internal affairs through military actions.

Cote d'Ivoire and Libya have unfortunately already swallowed this bitter pill of it. This is brutal offense to the norms of international relations showing no respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. What's more, the African countries' tradition of independence in their own affairs was also breached.

-NATO bombers have reminded us once again that for the power-politics era, the law of the jungle still applies.

This is the year of elections for the African continent, with almost 20 countries preparing to vote. The dispute in Cote d'Ivoire earlier this year did put a question mark next to the prospect of Africa's political future but the smooth electoral process in Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, had brushed it aside.

Unrest in Africa during the post-Cold War era has often been related to elections, as illustrated in the riots in Kenya, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar and the Cote d'Ivoire between 2008 and 2011.

They were caused by burning rivalries or the lack of transparency in the election process, but actually it was the "winner takes all" policy, the combination of tribal culture and modern democracy that led to them.

We need to make it clear that the recent unrest in Northern Africa's Tunisia and Egypt don't belong to this category. Those sudden, spontaneous, severe and contagious riots there were the result of deep-rooted problems, and rigged elections were just part of the reason.

Though the trigger points in different countries are various, poor living conditions and anger toward dictatorship were the two main reasons. Now, the storm of revolution is spreading wildly to the Middle Eastern nations of Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. So the next natural question is, will the storm continue to sweep southward and affect the rest of the continent?

Though they share the same continent, Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa are hugely different in everything from religion to economics. Compared to north Africa, the state of higher education and the Internet coverage in sub-Saharan Africa remains relatively poor.

Meanwhile, most southern African countries have been on the road to democratization since the Cold War ended. Although the political reforms in north Africa and the Middle East have influenced sub-Saharan Africa, the impact has been minimal.

But it still seems too early for us to draw the conclusion that sub-Saharan Africa is immune to the chaos, especially when the West has once again chosen to intervene in others' internal affairs through military actions.

Cote d'Ivoire and Libya have unfortunately already swallowed this bitter pill of it. This is brutal offense to the norms of international relations showing no respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. What's more, the African countries' tradition of independence in their own affairs was also breached.

NATO bombers have reminded us once again that for the power-politics era, the law of the jungle still applies. Lots of questions have been placed on the table as the humanitarian crisis is mounting amid the Libyan stalemate. Why were African countries' proposals for political and peaceful solutions eventually ignored by the Western powerhouses?

It's quite obvious if we look back at history, that military actions could never be the key to easing tension but eventually worsen it, as the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have shown.

It's time to keep an watchful eye on the West's intervention. Africa's year of elections is in a tricky phrase, given the turbulent conditions of its northern neighbors.

The author is director of the African Studies Section at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php? ... &aid=25116

The Srebrenica Massacre: Evidence, Context, Politics

by Edward S. Herman and Phillip Corwin
Global Research, June 4, 2011
Srebrenica Research Group

The SREBRENICA MASSACRE, Evidence, Context, Politics,
Edward S. Herman and Phillip Corwin (Editors)

Foreword by Phillip Corwin (excerpt)

To access the complete pdf file of this important study click here http://www.srebrenica-report.com/Srebrenica_Book.pdf

On July 11, 1995, the town of Srebrenica fell to the Bosnian Serb army. At the time, I was the highest ranking United Nations civilian official in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In my book, Dubious Mandate,1 I made some comments on that tragedy. Beyond that, I decried the distortions of the international press in their reporting, not only on that event, but on the wars in Yugoslavia (1992-95) in general. I expressed the wish that there could have been, and must be, some balance in telling the story of what actually happened in Srebrenica and in all of former Yugoslavia, if we are to learn from our experience.

This book by the Srebrenica Research Group, The Srebrenica Massacre: Evidence, Context, Politics, answers that call. It presents an alternative and well-documented assessment of the tragedy of Srebrenica, and of the suffering of all the constituent peoples of former Yugoslavia. It is an invaluable document.

Of course, there will be those who will disagree with the authors’ perspective. But if we are to open a discussion that has been closed to all but the faithful, if we are to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again, then we must take seriously the accounts put forward by the bright and discerning contributors to this book. No honest reader can doubt the credentials of these authors. And no honest reader should doubt the importance of what they have to say. I congratulate them on their scholarship and their courage.

To access the complete pdf file of this important study click here

Table of contents

Maps • 4-6
Foreword • 7
Phillip Corwin
Preface • 13
Edward S. Herman

Chapter 1. Introduction • 19
Edward S. Herman

Chapter 2. Prelude to the Capture of Srebrenica • 37
George Bogdanich

Chapter 3. The Military Context of the Fall of Srebrenica • 66
Tim Fenton

Chapter 4. The Numbers Game • 101
Jonathan Rooper

Chapter 5. Securing Verdicts:
The Misuse of Witness Evidence at the Hague • 153
George Szamuely

Chapter 6. The ICTY and Srebrenica • 211
Michael Mandel

Chapter 7. UN Report on Srebrenica—
A Distorted Picture of Events • 224
George Bogdanich

Chapter 8. U.S. Media Coverage of Srebrenica • 248
Edward S. Herman

Chapter 9. U.K. Media Coverage of Srebrenica • 259
Philip Hammond

Chapter 10. Summary and Conclusions • 278
Edward S. Herman

Note on Contributors • 299

To access the complete pdf file of this important study click here http://www.srebrenica-report.com/Srebrenica_Book.pdf

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php? ... &aid=25112

NATO deploys attack helicopters in Libya

Global Research, June 4, 2011

NATO has announced it has successfully deployed attack helicopters in Libya for the first time. British and French choppers are said to have attacked and destroyed a road checkpoint and radar site.

Â*It comes just a few days after NATO extended its intervention mission in Libya. Recent weeks have seen intensified allied strikes on the Libyan army.

At the same time, UN officials have accused Colonel Gaddafi of war crimes, while saying rebels were also guilty of similar abuses.

Speaking on American television, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaliy Churkin, says Libya must decide its own future, something which no intervention can force.

“There are indications that a dialogue can start, which will produce a genuine Libyan political process. If you simply keep dictating things from the outside by supporting the rebels, by saying that this person has to go, this person has to stay, bringing somebody in, announcing that some particular individual is legitimate, the other is not legitimate. Then you have to adopt the country, just go ahead and adopt the country, do another Iraq in Libya. We don’t believe that foreign capitals can determine who is going to head the country and what is going to happen there. There has to be a political process. So our idea is that there must be a ceasefire as quickly as possible, because it can produce a situation where civilians are not going to suffer any longer,â€

NATO Helicopter Attacks Tantamount To Ground Operation: Russian Foreign Minister

Global Research, June 4, 2011
Russian Information Agency Novosti

NATO strikes on Libya amount to land operation - Moscow

Odessa: NATO's actions in Libya are gradually evolving into a land operation, Russia's foreign minister warned on Saturday.

The French armed forces website said on Saturday that British and French light aviation helicopters of the ground forces had delivered pinpoint strikes at Libya on Friday night as part of NATO's military operation.

"We know that France and Britain intend to use combat helicopters, which we see as intentional or unintentional development [of NATO's operation into] a land operation," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia originally opposed any international military interference into the armed confrontation between supporters and opponents of Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year regime in Libya.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week that Gaddafi's regime had lost its legitimacy and the Libyan leader must leave his post. Moscow is sending a presidential envoy, Mikhail Margelov, to Libya next week for talks with the rebels' ruling body.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php? ... &aid=25118