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New York Times

US Bombs ISIS Camps in Libya New York Times WASHINGTON Two United States Air Force B-2 bombers attacked Islamic State training camps in Libya overnight, killing more than 80 militants, including some who were involved in plotting terrorist attacks in Europe, the Pentagon said on Thursday. US bombers strike IS camps in LibyaNorman Transcript The US flew stealth bombers across the globe to strike ISIS camps in LibyaWashington Post US Stealth Bombers Strike ISIS Training Camps In LibyaNPR The Denver Post -IHS Jane's 360 -Fox News all 144 news articles »

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US Bombs ISIS Camps in Libya - New York Times

Wall Street Journal

US Bombers Hit Islamic State in Libya Wall Street Journal WASHINGTONAmerican B-2 bombers and drones struck Islamic State training camps and other targets in Libya on Wednesday evening, killing dozens of militants, according to Pentagon officials, in a broadening of the U.S. war against the extremist group ...

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US Bombers Hit Islamic State in Libya - Wall Street Journal

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-2 Spirit bomber The four-engine B-2 heavy bomber has stealth properties that make it hard to detect on radar. Flown by a crew of two, it has an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles and can deliver both conventional and nuclear bombs. Twenty B-2s are in the active inventory. They joined the fleet in 1997.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-35A Lightning The single-engine F-35A is the Air Force's eventual replacement for the F-16 and the A-10. The supersonic jets, which will be able to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks, are just beginning to enter the Air Force fleet.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-22 Raptor The twin-engine F-22 stealth fighter, flown by a single pilot and armed with a 20mm cannon, heat-seeking missiles, radar-guided missiles and radar-guided bombs, can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The service has 183 of the Raptors, which went operational in 2005.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-1B Lancer bomber The four-engine jet can fly at 900 mph and carry the largest payload of bombs and missiles in the Air Force inventory. The Air Force has 62 B-1Bs in the fleet.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-52 Stratofortress The first versions of this long-range heavy bomber flew in 1954. A total of 744 were built, the last of those in 1962. The Air Force maintains 58 B-52s in the active force and 18 in the Reserve. A single B-52 can carry 70,000 pounds of mixed munitions, including bombs, missiles and mines. The eight-engine jets have a range of 8,800 miles.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-15 Eagle The F-15 Eagle, the Air Force's main air superiority fighter, became operational in 1975. With a crew of one or two, depending on the model, the twin-engine jets are armed with a 20mm cannon along with Sidewinder or AMRAAM missiles. The Air Force lists 249 F-15 Eagles in its inventory.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

A-10 Thunderbolt The A-10 Thunderbolt jets, nicknamed "Warthogs," are specially designed for close air support of ground forces. Key to their armaments is a 30mm Gatling gun. The pilot is protected from ground fire by titanium armor, and the plane's fuel cells are self-sealing in case of puncture.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

RC-135U The RC-135U Combat Sent, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, provides strategic electronic reconnaissance information to the president, secretary of defense, Department of Defense leaders and theater commanders.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

An F-15 Eagle takes off from the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flight line as two E-3 Sentries are seen in the background.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-130 Hercules transport A C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron flies over Normandy, France, June 3, 2015. First delivered to the Air Force in 1956, the C-130 remains one of the service's most important airlift platforms. More than 140 are still in active units, with more than 180 in the National Guard and a hundred more in the Reserve. The C-130 is powered by four turboprop engines.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

OV-10 Bronco A 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco aircraft fires white phosphorus rockets to mark a target for an air strike during tactical air control training.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

A-29 Super Tucano An A-29 Super Tucano taxis on the flightline during its first arrival, Sept. 26, 2014, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Afghan Air Force pilots trained on the planes that will be used in air-to-ground attack missions in Afghanistan.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

KC-135 Stratotanker The four-engine KC-135 joined the Air Force fleet in 1956 as both a tanker and cargo jet. It can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel and 83,000 pounds of cargo and passengers in a deck above the refueling system. More than 400 of the KC-135s are flown by active, Air Guard and Reserve units.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-16 Fighting Falcon The single-engine jet is a mainstay of the Air Force combat fleet. It can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with its 20mm cannon and ability to carry missiles and bombs on external pods. More than 1,000 F-16s are in the Air Force inventory.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

AC-130 gunships The AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky gunships are designed for close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Armaments on the Spectre include 40mm and 105mm cannons. The Spooky adds a 25mm Gatling gun.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-17 Globemaster transport The four-engine jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1993 with a primary mission of troop and cargo transport. Each plane can carry up to 102 troops or 170,900 pounds of cargo. The Air Force has 187 C-17s on active duty, 12 in the Air National Guard and 14 in the Reserve.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-5 Galaxy transport The C-5, with a wingspan of 222 feet, a length of 247 feet and a height of 65 feet, is the largest plane in the Air Force inventory and one of the largest aircraft in the world. The first versions of the four-engine jet joined the force in 1970. The Air Force expects to have 52 versions of the latest model, the C-5M, in the fleet by 2017.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

CV-22 Osprey The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines vertical takeoff, hover and landing qualities of a helicopter with the normal flight characteristics of a turboprop aircraft, according to the Air Force. It is used to move troops in and out of operations as well as resupply units in the field. The Air Force has 33 Ospreys in inventory.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

E-3 Sentry AWACS AWACS stands for airborne warning and control system. This four-engine jet, based on a Boeing 707 platform, monitors and manages battle space with its huge rotating radar dome. The planes have a flight crew of four supporting 13 to 19 specialists and controllers giving direction to units around the battle space. The Air Force has 32 E-3s in inventory.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-15E Strike Eagle The Strike Eagle is a version of the air superiority fighter adapted to perform ground-strike missions. With a crew of two, the twin-jet can carry and deploy most weapons in the Air Force inventory and operate in any weather. The F-15E was first delivered in 1988. The Air Force lists 219 in its fleet.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

KC-10 Extender Based on the DC-10 passenger jet, the triple-engine KC-10 is a gas station in the sky with the ability to carry 75 people and 170,000 pounds of cargo. In its six tanks, the KC-10 can carry up to 356,000 pounds of fuel and dispense it while airborne. The Air Force has 59 KC-10s on active duty.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

T-38 Talon The twin-engine jet trainer, used by the Air Force to prepare pilots for the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer, A-10 Thunderbolt and F-22 Raptor, first flew in 1959. Almost 550 are in the active force.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

U-2 The single-engine, single-pilot U-2 is used for high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance. Flying at altitudes around 70,000 feet, pilots must wear pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. The first U-2 was flown in 1955. The planes were used on missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War, flying too high to be reached by any adversary. The Air Force has 33 U-2s in its active inventory.

In the U.S. Air Force fleet

WC-135 Constant Phoenix The four-engine WC-135 is used to fly through airspace to detect the residue of nuclear blasts. "The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in holding spheres," the Air Force says. It has two of these jets in the active force.

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Libya: US bombs ISIS camps, dozens killed - CNNPolitics.com

Today, Donald Trump will be sworn in as Presidentof the US. Foreign policy will crystallise when the full Cabinet is approved by the US Congress.

Will Russia now overtly support the LNA (Libyan National Army) and 74-year-old Khalifa Haftar, many years ago an admitted CIA asset? Could that put it at odds with the incoming Trump administration or will this be a welcome and calculated play from Trumps perspective?

What will change in the complicated ground war in Libya between the various warring factions in south, east and west Libya?

Blackwater founder Erik Prince allegedly secretly used private mercenary pilots in armed agricultural aircraft to bomb Western Libyas Islamist extremists. Could it be true there has been such a sudden and dramatic escalation in hostilities?

What of Isiss relatively small presence in the Sirte and Sabratha regions?What of the tentative potential thawing of US-Russian relations put on edge by doubtful allegations of Trump being blackmailed by Russia.

The first three months following the inauguration will be the most telling. Until then, let us hazard a guess as to what will unfold.

One indication is certain. Washington interests now favour a military solution to the quagmire in Libya that involves the newly promoted field marshal, Khalifa Hafter who would become part of some sort of leadership coalition or council.

Serious Libyan commentators agree talks must include all ground players, even former Gaddafi officials if the country is to be united.

However, the eradication of Isis in Libya is still paramount.That joint desire could put the US and Russia on the same side in Libya.

Russia has shown her strong willingness to support Hafter on two recent occasions; at the Moscow foreign ministry in mid-December, and again, last week when Hafter was helicoptered to the neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea, outside Libyan territorial boundaries, by Russian military, for a video conference call with Moscow senior officials on board a Russian warship.

This behaviour indicates a clear willingness to support Hafters Libyan National Army, as the legitimate military force of the elected Parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk. For some its even indicative of Russian support to Hafter with or without the HoRs backing.

Signs now seem to indicate an imminent military attempt by the LNA and Hafter to move west and take Tripoli.

Talks must include all ground players, even former Gaddafi officials if the country is to be united

Russias rationale for involvement was summarised by Foreign Minister Lavrovs categoric statement on December 2 that it does not want Libya to end up like Syria, as a failed state.

But the motivation undoubtedly is one of self-interest. As with Syria, Russia sees an opportunity to gain new increased and important influence in an Arab state and I judge that this is better achieved before President Trump takes the full reigns of power; out trumping Trump so to speak. Thats why I think fighting internally will escalate very soon.

Obamas self-professed greatest foreign policy mistake in office was the failure to quell the post-revolution chaos in Libya. What better way for Trump to truly legitimise his position and silence the naysayers than strategically achieving peace in Libya and an end to Isiss influence there via a Russian alliance?

It is no secret Trump has announced his desire to cooperate with Putin, and he actually may view Russias very public support of Hafter as an asset rather than a liability, securing the region, making an unlikely ally and increasing the popularity of his administration in one stroke.

This position assumes that the West will abandon its failed attempt to shore up the UNs puppet government (GNA). It and its leader Serraj are viewed as wholly illegitimate and inept by the countrys populace. It is time for EU/UN diplomats and politicians to recognise this and adapt to change and quickly.

Russian-made helicopters and arms were delivered to LNA indirectly and covertly via Russias allys the UAE and Egypt and they proved crucial in repelling attacks by militias at the key central oil ports, seized by LNA in September 2016.

Earlier this month, Russia publicly supported lifting the UN arms embargo. The West up until recently only wanted the embargo lifted for GNA militias. Presumably, if Western powers attempted to lift sanctions for only the GNA, Russias UNSC vote would be niet.

Therefore the LNA would appear to be the only entity that will be supported by the international community including Russia.

On the other hand another critical factor is oil. Russia has an option of buying direct from Cyrenaica (old name for East Libya), challenging western powers to intercept its tankers. A potential superpower flashpoint.

Cyrenica also wants its own flag as well as a new national anthem. This would in my opinion certainly lead to Libya becoming two separate countries, east and west Libya.

Structural and mismanagement issues remain and heighten internal tensions. For example GECOL (General Electricity Company of Libya) has all but collapsed as has electricity to the entire country. Combined with water distribution shortages and an unusually intense cold spell, the peoples patience is at an end.

So the wild card remains; the US to drop support for the GNA in its current form and shift it to the LNA.

US good relations with Putin and Moscow could well see Russia gaining a chunk of influence in Libya at presumably the expense of the Italians and British with the French seemingly solely interested in southern Libya.

All will be clear soon as I predict internal fighting to escalate very soon. A peaceful negotiated settlement between the warring Libyan parties seems now remote.

Richard Galustian is a security analyst.

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Trump, Putin and Libya - Times of Malta

Middle East Eye

Libya still needs the UN-backed government, says deputy PM Middle East Eye The popularity of the GNA has suffered over the past few months as the body's promise of political unity in the divided country flopped, and conditions for Libya's population have worsened. But Ahmed Maiteeq told Middle East Eye that the GNA is on ...

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Libya still needs the UN-backed government, says deputy PM - Middle East Eye