Whatever their choice of footwear:
The Central Intelligence Agency has inserted clandestine operatives into Libya to gather intelligence for military airstrikes and make contacts with rebels battling Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s forces, according to American officials.
While President Obama has insisted that no American ground troops join in the Libyan campaign, small groups of C.I.A. operatives have been working in Libya for several weeks and are part of a shadow force of Westerners that the Obama administration hopes can help set back Colonel Qaddafi’s military, the officials said.
This is coming from US officials. Why? Why now?
There is a war over the war-we’re-not-calling-a-war within the administration.
And I’d be willing to bet that these CIA operatives aren’t the only American boots pennyloafers gators shoes of indeterminate structure on the ground in Libya. We’ve previously reported on the insertion of A-10′s and B-1′s into the conflict. Typically, such aircraft require some tactical assistance on the ground. That’s usually Air Force enlisted personnel; it’s a segment of the AF special operations called combat control.
CIA could possibly be trained to perform combat control, but it’s more likely that any CC activity is being done by actual US airmen. Who, odds are, are wearing boots.
I think it was reported that B-2s were in the operation, not B-1s, but then I haven’t been following it closely. I am a bit out of touch with current operations, but I don’t think B-2s are doing CAS operations that require Combat Controllers. And the A-10s may be just tank plunking, and since there are no rebel tanks, it also wouldn’t require CCs. OTOH, I could be wrong.
It is amazing that government officials are reporting the CIA is on the ground. Simply amazing.
I’m sure there are B2s operating in Libya. They can fly from Whiteman AFB, do their job, and return home without ever having to land. But the report over the weekend had AC-130s, A-10s and B1s all joining the effort. They’re flying out of Italy.
My guess is Obama is (in his own head) narrowly defining “boots on the ground” as combat troops sent to shoot people in offensive missions.
Obviously there aren’t boots on the ground, they are kinetic military footwear. Totally different.
Considering there are at least a couple thousand al Qaeda/Islamofascist-minded fighters amongst the “opposition”, I think it’s the height of irresponsibility to, not only, put troops on the ground, but place highly skilled and intelligence-laden combat controllers and/or CIA operatives on the ground in the “opposition’s” care.
These guys are not the Northern Alliance or the Kurds. Far, far from it.
Every day the news from this kinetic combat action has me saying to myself, out loud, “this is a joke, right? Someone’s BS-ing me, right?”
Sadly, Obama and the people around him spent the 7 years of war under Bush criticizing him rather than learning lessons.
From USAF (B-2 Whiteman AFB Airstrikes on Libya 3/20): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyUC4QDNb6M
Seriously kids, you have to be 12 years old to think that there isnt a number of different teams already in Libya, from the SAS, to the French Foriegn Legion. These “rebels” are mobs, nothing more. Well intentioned Mobs, but there is no field discipline, no tactics or strategy, no logistics no overall plan aside from “shoot over there”.
When they do make tactical gains, its because there is someone with real training at the front. Once they go away(because thats what their orders tell them to do – fade away, so the locals can take credit), the gains tend to vaporize.
You cant expect the local “townies” to be trained soldiers. The President wants the rebels to win, but its like expecting my very well trained high school football team to take on the Packers. It might happen in the movies, but it doesnt just happen.
“according to American officials”? Which ones?
Flip-flops. It’s gotta be flip-flops.
Speaking of tactical assistance on the ground, check out the third photo in this article about cruise missile strikes yesterday (3/29). According to the caption it shows a “missile” dropping on Kaddafi’s residence, but it sure looks like a JDAM. So either they had a B2 on-station or someone on the ground with a target designator, or both. And I thought Kaddafi wasn’t a target?
Why now? So the Syrians and Iranians start to think we might have boots on THEIR ground, too. At least I hope we do.
Let’s hope to Christ our boys stay clear of the “democratic opposition”.
These SOBs are about as “democratic” as bin Laden.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=02a_1301531604
If you didn’t like how they treated Nick Berg and Daniel Pearle, you won’t like this. You’ve been warned…
Excuse me, but with all the billions we spend on the CIA and related agencies and the fact that Libya is/was/will-continue-to-be a messed up dangerous country, shouldn’t we have had intel & ops people on the ground since . . . . I dunno . . . forever.
WTF