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Israel has joined the US propaganda campaign over the alleged ‘Russian invasion’ of Libya. On May 27, Israel’s Imagesat Intl. released satellite images speculating on the alleged deployment of Russian combat aircraft in Libya.
Reports of repainted Russian fighter jets being sent to bomb Libya have nothing to do with reality, Moscow said in response to the latest sensational claims by US Africa Command about alleged Russian involvement in the region.
The AFRICOM press release claimed that they “assessed” the planes were recently deployed to Libya in support of Wagner Group private military contractors, and are “likely” to provide close air support. Likewise, “it is assessed” that the planes came from Russia via Syria, where they were “repainted to camouflage their Russian origin.” The press release also claims that:
“Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya. Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner,” said U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command. “For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now. We watched as Russia flew fourth generation jet fighters to Libya — every step of the way. Neither the LNA nor private military companies can arm, operate and sustain these fighters without state support — support they are getting from Russia.”
Russia has employed state-sponsored Wagner in Libya to conceal its direct role and to afford Moscow plausible deniability of its malign actions. U.S. Africa Command assesses Moscow’s military actions have prolonged the Libyan conflict and exacerbated casualties and human suffering on both sides.
The world heard Mr. Haftar declare he was about to unleash a new air campaign. That will be Russian mercenary pilots flying Russian-supplied aircraft to bomb Libyans,” Townsend said…” (LINK)
Fathi Bashagha, a minister in the Tripoli-based government of national accord (GNA) – which is fighting the LNA for control of Libya – claimed last week in an interview with Bloomberg that “at least six MiG 29s and two Sukhoi Su-24s” arrived in Libya from the Khmeimim air base in Syria, where the Russian expeditionary force is based.
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The US insistence that Russia is destabilizing Libya is baffling, noting that it was the NATO regime-change operation in 2011 that overthrew the government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and turned the most prosperous African country into a chaotic wasteland fought over by warlords ever since. Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who leads the LNA and is allegedly propped up by Wagner and Russia, famously defected to the US in the 1980s and lived near the CIA headquarters for decades before returning to Libya after 2011.
Russia and Turkey – a NATO member which has openly backed the GNA and sent regular troops to Tripoli earlier this year – organized a series of negotiations between Haftar and the Tripoli government earlier this year, but the GNA refused to meet with the LNA leader directly.
The US claims were picked up by major media outlets in the region, including Haaretz, the Jerusalem Post and Al Jazeera. In addition to repeating the latest US claims, the report by Haaretz also made reference to a ‘confidential UN report’ to which a Reuters correspondent had access:
“Russian private military contractor Wagner Group has up to 1,200 people deployed in Libya, strengthening Libya National Army (LNA) of eastern Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar’s forces, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters in early May.”
The article also noted that the GNA has deployed Syrian fighters allied to Turkey, while Haftar is also using fighters recruited from Sudan. On 18 May United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said at an online UN Security Council meeting that militants from Syria are sent to Libya to fight on both sides of the conflict:
“Let us also remember that Syria’s instability reverberates elsewhere too — including as far as Libya, given reports of fighters being recruited in Syria in large numbers and sent to fight on both sides of that conflict.”
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Russia has denied the allegations, and claimed that the military contractors in Libya are there on behalf of private sector interests to protect their property and employees and are not contracted or supported by the government.
Al Jazeera noted that Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Lavrov conveyed a message to Aguila Saleh Issa, speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives who is an ally of Haftar, that he wanted an immediate ceasefire and political negotiations in Libya. It then declared that analysts questioned the motive behind the Russian call for a truce and negotiations, to the effect that with Haftar retreating following the recent military victories by the western-backed government, it is advantageous for Russia to call for talks. This interpretation, however, ignores similar calls made by Lavrov almost a month ago, before Haftar’s forces suffered their setbacks, as quoted in a report by TASS:
“Lavrov pointed to the statement, made by Aguila Saleh, the president of the Libyan House of Representatives, in which the politician called for national dialogue, aimed at creation of power entities, accepted by everyone, which would equally represent the three key regions of Libya (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan).
“I think, this is exactly what we were talking about all these years — that the Libyans themselves must find mutually acceptable approaches to building a dialogue, and then to building their state, whereas foreign actors should encourage these exact approaches,” Lavrov commented.
The Russian foreign minister also recalled that the position of the UN special envoy for Libya has been vacant for two months already. “I believe that it is absolutely necessary for the UN Secretary-General Mr. [Antonio] Guterres to appoint the new special envoy as soon as possible. By common agreement, this must be a representative of the African region, and there are such candidates, we know them well, they are experienced people who enjoy credibility,” he noted.” (LINK)
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The US claims were subsequently repeated by Chief Pentagon Spokesperson for the Department of Defense Jonathan Hoffman, who told reporters at least 14 Russian-made military planes could be in Libya.
“With regard to the number and types of aircraft … it was approximately 14 military fighters, a mix of Su-24s and MiG-29s. Right now, that’s all the information on that that I can share with you,” he said, answering to a question about the number of Russian-made aircraft that could possibly be in Libya.
He added that the US urges all parties to the Libyan conflict to stop military actions in the region and give the Libyan people “the defense and security they deserve.”
Earlier, the United States claimed that Russia assisted in redeploying militants from Syria to Libya. Russia has repeatedly rejected those claims. Earlier, Kremlin dismissed US claims of Russia’s military interference into the Libyan civil conflict as false. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also rejected claims that ‘mercenaries’ linked to Russia were fighting in Libya.
How many military satellites does Israel have, Southfront sure does re-publish lots of their photos. Since Israel has bombed Syria over 1,000 times and Iraq dozens of times with glide bombs, how many of their targets were acquired by their military grade satellites.
Mike Pompeo thunders, it is the apocalypse for Iran to have even one low orbit satellite for imagery because its both aggression and a cover for an ICBM project. What nonsense, why shouldn’t Iran be able to spot military installations or a buildup of forces about to attack Iran, Syria, or Lebanon or refute a rumor of a buildup of forces which would actually prevent an unintentional conflict. Iran has never bombed another country but stands accused of aggression.
Every satelite brings 1000s down every day if wished. Israel produce most of them themselves and – as I recall it – share photos from each other(USA).
Danes do recall som ballitics in Iraq. About 40 of our helping Baggdad crew was wounded and some for life.
Israel would have full access to US military grade info.
GAS THE KIKES>ONLY SOLUTION!
Zionist agenda is endless global conflict.
Thought Israel ran the Pentagon and NATO.
Historically Jew cunts have a history of biting the hand that feeds the vermin. They did the same to the Romans and Persians.
” Just shows how much influence the US still has in Israel. ”
If you believe this to be true then you should re-study the last 70 years of world history.
nonsense
You certainly do Your best to keep others in Your dark too:)
You certainly do Your best to keep Yourself in Your dark too:)
1.3% of united states of shit is infected that means 104,000 of their people are gonna die.
and how are things in your utopia?
No, actually from Russian ‘businessmen’
Everybody else is there. Even my Grandmother in her coffin is. They are all trigged. Babylon is in Iraq or Las Vegas.
You started.
No war needed in Lebanon. The best improvement for Lebanon would be all the one legged Hesollahs made food and devellopment instead of now even being named as terrorists.
We won’t lose LR, we never do. What will happen is that Lebanon will simply disappear from the ME as a state, if they decide to hit Israeli centers and kill many Israelis. For a start, Beirut can easily be wiped out there is no question about it, the only thing is how the world reacts to such move. If innocent Israelis die by Hezbolalh’s rockets, you can be sure Lebanese will die hundreds times more. We need to hit with full firepower in the first 2 days, this war can end faster than you think man.
We are very commited to our oath, to do everything we can to defend our country. I think our political leadership is shit, but the soldiers on the ground are the ones to decide what happens. In the end, it’s an IDF soldier againat a Hezbollah fighter, face to face.
Please do not encourage a mental patient, he merely spams to seek attention.
There are dozens of nations with MIG 29s. If they are there, they could have come from anywhere.
And they do. Someone has made a supermagnet and are testing it.
Next level is tanks. Exiting if it can take both Firtinas and the test Armata all the way from Syria.
This magnet and comment was sponsered by “ironside”.
Pot calling the kettle, black.
The bloody genocide fictional state of ISISrael should shut the fuck up. They can’t say shit about anyone, they are the lowest scum on the earth.
You are a true loser, how does it feel it be under my boot? loser.
What boot? You have no legs nor body, you’re a dog. Your life has no value. Never been under anyone, always speak up my mind loud and clear.
Do you feel threatened right? Good. You should be.
Not at all bitch, we will make a good example out of you if you told it to us in the face. All you can do it bark on the internet like the dog you are, pathetic loser.
You are the loser, you filthy degenerate. Like i said, your life has no value, you are just cannon fodder. Im exercising my right to FREE SPEECH i will speak what i fucking want you piece of shit, whether is here on the crappy internet or irl, i don’t care. You are deranged if you think that LITTLE creatures like you can scare anyone.
Your masters have their days NUMBERED and YOU know it.
Do your best, you’re welcomed to try and finish us anytime you want.
So that pretty much blows the theory that Israel has been secretly backing Haftar and the LNA.
Why does us and Israel care if Russia was in Libya? US is illegally in Syria and Israel provides support to ISIS. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Sheesh.
As an Orthodox I can tell you that the Jews have always been the enemies of Russia and the Zionists are the 5th column. Russian government really needs to examine the destructive role of Jew oligarchs and the slow infestation of Zionism in power centers that is undermining Russian security and overall interests. Israel at the end of the day will always backstab Russia or any progressive nation that stands up to the insidious Zionist agenda.
Zionists aren’t like normal jews. Don’t let them mislead you nor become fascist like ISISrael or the U.S gestapo. It’s a political extremist ideology. You can’t blame all people because a few degenerate psychos. To be honest, most of the “zionists” are pseudo-christians.
I know that insanity is on rise in the U.S, but again, think with your head.
Israel should be happy that finally those religious terrorist, Turkish and others get eliminated by the Russians. We in Europe can’t wait to see them finished off. Nowthe US is making the same mistake as Europe before WWII they let the contemporary Hitler= Erdogan trive and expand his “Lebensraum” . Israel do not blame the world if the gas is descending on you and do not trust the US, only their own power and picket matters.
Typical arrogant US that destroyed the country in the first place. Unfortunately the mess has to be cleaned up yet again by Russian forces.
No doubt the ME would prefer to see Russian toys defending their nations, then whatever Israel gifts them, via her friends. If I was Libyan, would prefer to see Russian mercenaries than the type NATO under Israel guidance, provides.
We stand with the U.S in the ME, I don’t really care about Libya but Russia isn’t doing much against Iran in Syria, so we must increase our offensives.