Also looks shameful discomfiture during the first encounters the insurgents from the Libyan regular army, which for a long time successfully fought and after the NATO intervention, and without aviation and heavy weapons. So these events are particularly important in terms of their study, allowing us to understand how NATO countries reach the goals of the armed confrontation in modern conditions, including by carrying out special operations and information warfare, as well as direct armed aggression.

At all stages of events in Libya on the edge of them were intelligence and special operations forces from Western countries. In particular, the CIA has repeatedly stated that it was sending to Libya of so-called group of ground support to "rebels" since February, although it is not the whole truth, as they were here much earlier.

They were soon joined by units of special operations forces, including the fighters known British "SAS". That Libya is a British "special forces", the media reported almost from the beginning of the operation. In particular, the British "special forces" for the first month of the Libyan conflict, had "publicly" celebrated in Libya at least twice. The first time was rather successful, as it managed to conduct a successful evacuation of British citizens shortly after the start of the riots. But the second "public" episode was unpleasant for the British MTR – group of their soldiers had been detained by Libyan rebels near the city of Benghazi. The British foreign office explained then the fact of being "special forces" in Libya the need to establish contacts with the Libyan opposition.

The British on the Libyan territory was not alone. The activity of the anti-Libyan coalition countries was so visible that on 31 March, the representative of the international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" Peter Bookert reported the presence of various terrestrial military units of foreign States on the territory of an independent Libya.

It is believed that, for example, part of the soldiers "SAS" charters arrived from London under the guise of ordinary passengers. The weapons and equipment they were expected at the British Embassy in Tripoli. Later in the port of Benghazi – the rebel "capital", where was formed the interim government of Libya, the destroyer "York" the Navy of great Britain delivered the unit MTR. One of their tasks at the time – assistance in the organization and maintenance of contacts with British diplomats, representatives of the rebels.

As reported by the media, with the start of the operation, the U.S. government appealed to the British with a request to use "SAS" to identify and ensure the safety of toxic substances (about ten tons of mustard gas and sarin gas), which, according to the Americans, are at the disposal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. This is, in particular, wrote "The Daily Telegraph" with reference to own sources.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" on 23 August, posted information that in addition to former members of the military "SAS", who after retirement went to work in private military company and various security companies and then ended up in Libya, hostilities in that country and was attended by military personnel on active duty in the special forces. However, the publication is simply evaluated their role by writing that they are charged only targeting and other tasks for the coordination of coalition airstrikes.

Almost simultaneously, "The Daily Telegraph" on August 24 reported that the personnel of the 22nd regiment, the "SAS", aimed to Libya "a few weeks ago", assisted the insurgents in planning and executing the assault on Tripoli. It is also reported that later they received the order personally from Prime Minister David Cameron about the transfer of the main effort on a new task: the detection and detention of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. You need to pay attention that the secretive actions of the personnel of the special forces dressed in Arab clothes and supplied the weapons used by the rebels (recall that this is contrary to the norms of international law in the conduct of hostilities).

In the U.S., the topic of putting into operation the MTR also began to "soar in the air" with the beginning of the conflict in Libya. In particular, a senior researcher with the American non-governmental organization "Council on foreign relations" Max Booth on 24 March 2011 urged the Obama administration to send troops to Libya special forces to coordinate air strikes of the international coalition forces and to help with military training of the rebels. Booth believed that such a step will not be violation of resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council, excluding foreign occupation of Libya. Although President Barack Obama announcing the beginning of military operations in Libya, stated that it does not envisage the participation of American ground units. According to him, the American "special forces" in ground warfare would be a "significant escalation of the conflict".

Nevertheless, according to Michael Ohanlon, the expert Washington the Brookings Institution, this option was actively discussed among the highest military-political leadership of the United States. He noted that the American "green berets" "uniquely prepared for the delivery of weapons and military training to the rebels". Agrees with it and David gray, a retired officer of the U.S. air force, now Professor of international security at the University of North Carolina at Fayetteville: "the issue of sending special forces to Libya depends on how you define the ultimate objective of the operations of the international coalition and the U.S. administration. If the goal is to eliminate the Gaddafi regime, I very much doubt that air strikes will be enough" (from his interview to the newspaper "the Fayetteville observer").

Alas, now it can be argued that the above-mentioned U.S. experts have been, or are poorly informed or, more likely, performed the task of misinformation. The actions of the SDF of U.S. forces in Libya began long before the military operation, as will be discussed below. World news agencies also reported that their CCO has sent to Libya another three member countries of the international coalition: Qatar, Jordan and France.

The NATO representative on September 24 on CNN stated that "...British, French, Jordanian and Qatari special forces in Libya in recent days have started an active phase of action in Tripoli and other cities to promote the rebels. British special forces helped the rebel cells, helping them to be better organized to conduct operations, and a number of "special forces" from different countries accompanied the rebels across Libya towards Tripoli... In General, the "special forces" helped the rebels to improve their tactics. "SWAT" also provided the military aircraft data order to launch attacks and conducted reconnaissance operations in Tripoli. This was especially necessary in the last days, when both sides clashed in close combat. "SWAT" also helped the rebels with communication, when the capture of Tripoli...".

As for other countries, on the eve of the storming of Tripoli by the Qatari fighters "special forces" trained Libyan rebels to the conduct of hostilities. Details about participation in hostilities MTR Jordan yet. Newspaper "the Evening standard" also reported that the storming of the government complex "Bab al-Azizia" the Libyan rebels were led by the soldiers "special forces" the UAE and Qatar. According to this publication, the foreigners were in the vanguard of the advancing forces of the opposition, and they first broke into the house where Gadhafi lived with his family. Once inside, the personnel of the special forces began to scour the building in search of documents and computers, which could contain important information.

"This case Arabic, it is therefore right that the Arab allies came to help the Libyans, "- quoted the newspaper "The Evening standard" one of the officers "SWAT". According to this information, as a foreign Arab units and commanders of the Libyan rebel forces before have been instructed by British, French and American experts of the MTR.

However, 24 August, president of France Nicolas Sarkozy stated that the French "special forces" are not involved in the military operation in Libya, answering the questions of journalists during joint press conference with the head of the Executive Committee of the Transitional national Council (TNC) of Libya, Mahmoud Jibril.

"French special forces on Libyan soil no, "assured Sarkozy, noting that the military operation in Libya will continue until Muammar Gaddafi and his supporters lay down their weapons.

But on 25 August the Agency "France-Presse" disseminated information that at least two French soldiers and a group of several Brits working in one of the headquarters of the rebels near an abandoned oil refinery in Eastern Libya. It is believed that they are involved in communication and intelligence, as the containers in which they live and work, equipped with various telecommunications equipment.

Experts rightly noticed by the aforementioned publications, there is no sensation in all of the above, no. The presence in Libya of the SDF units from different countries are quite known since February. Before the beginning of coalition operations "special forces" helped to organize the evacuation of foreigners from the Libyan cities, losing the helicopter.

After the UN authorized military intervention, many media have reported active actions on Libyan territory "SAS", during which the rebels, even by mistake seized eight British servicemen taken prisoner. Although you need to understand that the real actions of the intelligence agencies and "special forces" have no relation to the transactions and the UN resolutions and international law. They've always held and will be held around the world in secret, outside the framework of international law and, as a rule, effectively.

Special forces units were also involved in the Libyan conflict and outside Libya. In particular, recently, "SWAT" law enforcement agencies of Bulgaria stormed the Libyan Embassy in Sofia. This was done at the request of the "new Libyan government" to expel from the territory of the Embassy diplomats, earlier declared persona non grata. The storming of the Libyan Embassy under the cover of an armored personnel carrier was carried out by the Bulgarian fighters "special forces". Recall that on 1 September the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Bulgaria has declared all Libyan diplomats "the old call" undesirable on the territory of Bulgaria. After Libyan diplomats refused to leave the Embassy building, they forcibly brought from the territory of the Embassy. Operation "special forces" ended with the handing over of the keys from the building of the Embassy is the official representative of the Transitional national Council of Libya sent to Sofia.

Tags: war , Libya , Special Forces