By BRADLEY KLAPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration said Tuesday that Russia is sending attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime and warned that the Arab country’s 15-month conflict could become even deadlier.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. was “concerned about the latest information we have that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria.”

She said the shipment “will escalate the conflict quite dramatically.”

Clinton’s comments at a public appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres augured poorly for a peaceful solution to Syria’s conflict. Officials from around the world are warning that the violence risks becoming an all-out civil war, with Middle East power brokers from Iran to Turkey possibly being drawn into the fighting.

Diplomatic hopes have rested on Washington and Moscow agreeing on a transition plan that would end the four-decade Assad regime.

But Moscow has consistently rejected the use of outside forces to end the conflict or any international plan to force regime change in Damascus. Despite withering criticism from the West, it insists that any arms it supplies to Syria are not being used to quell anti-government dissent.

With diplomacy at a standstill, the reported shipment of helicopters suggests a dangerous new turn for Syria after more than a year of harsh government crackdowns on mainly peaceful protests and the emergence of an increasingly organized armed insurgency.

There was no immediate reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia and Syria have a longstanding military relationship and Syria hosts Russia’s only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea. But in light of the brutal violence, the U.S. has repeatedly demanded that any further deliveries of weaponry be halted. Russian military support in the form of materiel as advanced as attack helicopters would deal a serious blow to efforts to starve the Syrian army of supplies.

Some 13,000 people have died, according to opposition groups, but the U.S. and its allies have been hoping that sanctions on Assad’s government and its increased isolation would make it increasingly difficult to carry out military campaigns. Attack helicopters are heavily armored and can carry machine guns, rockets, missiles or other weapons capable of firing at ground targets.

Welcoming the announcement by NATO that the mission was continuing for another 90 days, Dr Fox said “good progress” in the operation means some of the aircraft can be brought home.

“The UK has been at the forefront of the campaign since the outset and as the Prime Minister has made clear throughout, the UK will maintain its commitment for as long as it is required. Our support for the people of Libya at this critical time is unwavering and NATO’s mission to protect civilians must continue until it is no longer necessary.”

The Apache fully exploits the vertical dimension of the battlefield. Aggressive terrain flight techniques allow the commander to rapidly place the ATKHB at the decisive place at the optimum time. Typically, the area of operations for Apache is the entire corps or divisional sector. Attack helicopters move across the battlefield at speeds in excess of 3 kilometers per minute. Although dependent on mission, enemy, terrain, troops, time available, and civilian (METT-TC) considerations, typical planning airspeeds are 100-120 knots (185-222 km/hr) during daylight, and 80-100 knots (148-185 km/hr) at night. Speeds during marginal weather are reduced with respect to prevailing conditions.

Eurofighter’s high performance is matched by excellent all round vision and by sophisticated attack, identification and defence systems which include the ECR 90 long range radar and Infra Red Search and Track (IRST) system, advanced medium and short range air-to-air missiles and a comprehensive electronic warfare suite to enhance weapon system effectiveness and survivability. Eurofighter Typhoon is intentionally aerodynamically unstable to provide extremely high levels of agility, reduced drag and enhanced lift.

“We have decided to keep 16 Tornado aircraft on operations to sustain the required fast jet sortie rate and we intend to keep two Attack Helicopters in Theatre for as long as required,” Dr Fox added.

Source: British Force News

More Action in Libya;

Rebels in western Libya seize mountain towns: link

Congress Votes to Restrict Libya War While China Chats With Rebels: link

House demands “explanation” on Libya: link

NATO airstrikes hit Yefren, Libya, where rebels claim liberation: link

Helos Over Libya: link

Blasts heard in central Tripoli: link

Russia: France, U.K. Could Send Troops Into Libya: link

Britain says rebels must plan for post-Gaddafi Libya: link

Cockpit footage of Apache strikes in Libya: link

Gaddafi’s Libyan army collapsing, say defectors:link

NATO hits Tripoli as Gates says Kadhafi’s time is up: link

I didn’t know NATO had attack helicopters? Can we see one, maybe we could identify the attack helicopters country of origin??? U.S. made APACHEs, likely.

The quagmire gets deeper …

Reuter’s reports:

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – British and French attack helicopters were used to strike inside Libya for the first time overnight on Saturday, hitting targets in the oil port of Brega as NATO forces stepped up their air war against Muammar Gaddafi.

A NATO-led military alliance extended its mission to protect civilians in Libya for a further 90 days this week, and France said it was stepping up military pressure as well as working with those close to Gaddafi to try to persuade him to quit.

Times up Obama, come clean, we gave yo0u enough rope to hang yourself with. Remember the War Powers Act, the Democrats thought was so good for Nixon?

Congress Delivers Obama ‘Stunning Rebuke on Libya’…

Bipartisan Congress rebuffs Obama on Libya mission

Crossing party lines to deliver a stunning rebuke to the commander in chief, the vast majority of the House voted Friday for resolutions telling President Obama he has broken the constitutional chain of authority by committing U.S. troops to the international military mission in Libya.

In two votes — on competing resolutions that amounted to legislative lectures of Mr. Obama — Congress escalated the brewing constitutional clash over whether he ignored the founding document’s grant of war powers by sending U.S. troops to aid in enforcing a no-fly zone and naval blockade of Libya.

The resolutions were non-binding, and only one of them passed, but taken together, roughly three-quarters of the House voted to put Mr. Obama on notice that he must explain himself or else face future consequences, possibly including having funds for the war cut off.

Liam Fox denies Apache strikes are a change of tactics

The Apaches hit targets near the Libyan town of Brega during the latest wave of Nato strikes against forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the MoD said.

The Defence Secretary, epeaking at a security forum in Singapore, said that the use of British Apache attack helicopters in Libya was a logical continuation of the Nato-led military operation against Muanmar Gaddafi’s forces and did not mean that fighter jet attacks had failed.

“It’s not plan B at all,” said Dr Fox.

“The use of the attack helicopters is a logical extension of we have already been doing. We already have fast jets in action, this gives us a chance to target new targets in a way we weren’t able to do.

See also:
NATO uses attack helicopters for first time in Libya air assault
British, French helicopters strike Gadhafi troops
U.K., French helicopters strike Qaddafi troops
NATO Attack Helicopters Strike Libya Targets for First Time
NATO helicopters hit targets in Libya
Combat helicopters enter Libya fray
British, French helicopters strike Gadhafi troops
Army Apache helicopters launch first British helicopter strikes in Libya against Gaddafi’s forces
British Apache helicopters strike Gaddafi’s forces for first time
Night strikes by French Tigre helicopters
NATO launches helicopter strikes in Libya

So now NATO is using attack helicopters, where the hell in U.N. Resolution 1973 is that authorized? The current NATO operations are now way beyond what was ever intended or mandated by the original, authorized, humanitarian U.N. mission. Seriously, can ground troops be far behind the attack helicopters?

/just how kinetic does a humanitarian kinetic military action have to get before one may dare call it direct, offensive, one sided, military intervention in a civil war?

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri youth on Thursday foiled an attack on leader of a Hurriyat faction Syed Ali Geelani when members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh tried to mount an assault in Delhi at a seminar on Kashmir.

Faction leader of the Kashmiri Hurriyat, Syed Ali Geelani.

The incident was followed by anti-India and pro-liberation slogans within the seminar hall, which lasted more than half an hour.

The event was organised by the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners and those who spoke on the occasion included Syed Ali Geelani, Arundhati Roy, Prof Abdur Rehman, Prof Sujatha Rao, Najeeb Bukhari, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, Varvara Rao and Dr N Venu.

The majority of speakers stressed the need for an early resolution of the Kashmir dispute while denouncing human rights violations by Indian troops in the occupied territory.

Meanwhile, Indian troops pressed attack helicopters into service during a clash with militants at Maloora Shalteng in the outskirts of Srinagar. Two Kashmiri youth were killed in the fierce gunbattle.

The authorities imposed a curfew and restrictions in Srinagar and all other districts of the valley to thwart the Lal Chowk March, the call for which had been given by the forum patronised by Syed Ali Geelani.

Indian police resorted to brute force to quell peaceful protests in Habba Kadal in Srinagar, near Cement Bridge in Baramulla town.

On the death anniversary of Agha Syed Yousuf alMoosvi alSafvi, APHC leader, Agha Syed Hassan al Moosvi, said while addressing a function in Budgam that the mission of the late religious leader would continue.

The Norwegian parliament has issued a schedule to debate the Kashmir dispute from November 15, taking a serious note of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

The reports said that the Norwegian foreign miinister would release a policy statement on Kashmir after the debate.

click to enlarge

Ottobre 2003

The days of sending pilots out of Fort Rucker’s aviation flight school for a year of on-the-job-training are over, said the installation commander there.

“We’re now sending many of them directly into theater. And, feedback so far from commanders is that they’re doing pretty well,” said Maj. Gen. James O. Barclay III, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center and Fort Rucker, Ala. He said the Army aviation community is experiencing a very high operating tempo.

“While the combat brigades are drawing down in Iraq, Army aviation is seeing a plus-up with shorter times away from the fight and less predictability in deployment cycles,” Barclay said. “It’s not an easy business right now and I don’t see any changes in the near term.”

The general said that with forces thinning in Iraq, demand on remaining troops increases, requiring them to be in more places. That puts an increased demand on aviation units. He said Army aviation is increasing its presence in Afghanistan as well.

While focus on the combat mission is clear, Barclay said the lines are blurred between training and operations commands involving the aviation community.

“We quit separating the components and commands,” he said, indicating the units train, fight and talk to each other more than ever before. Organizations he was referring to include: Training and Doctrine Command, Forces Command, Army Materiel Command, Fort Rucker and Installation Management Command, as well as Guard, Reserve and active components.

“We’re truly a combined force, tied at the hip. We have to be. It’s about being more effective, not just more efficient,” he said, citing the Army Enterprise best practices model as aviation’s campaign plan.

Barclay said there’s a continual and rapid movement of personnel and their equipment from training to deployment to reset, then looping back to training, with relevant and responsive feedback throughout the cycle. For example, he said, lessons learned in combat are immediately applied to training and to new aviation equipment design.

Although the aviation community is combat-oriented, planning and rollout of new manned and unmanned aircraft to meet current and future needs is still a high priority, with design for crew survivability ranking at the top, he noted.

There is also an emphasis of empowering leaders from the bottom up and giving them more responsibility.

“There’s an effort of decentralization of leadership; a push-down of tasks and decision-making designed to enfranchise the small-unit leaders,” he said.

Although it is a busy time, he said the aviation community is not broken. Barclay noted that although dwell times in and out of theater are not good-about a 1:1 ratio for the aviation brigades-the enlistment and reenlistment rate is “doing well, despite not only the time deployed, but also attractive job offers from the contracting community.”

Barclay said that while improved technology is important, success still depends on good people. He said leaders “must keep the focus on our young men and women who voluntarily answer the call to duty and go in harm’s way over and over again.”

David Vergun (ANS)

Adding to the melee, tens of thousands of civilians jammed the roads, fearing the rebel army that has a reputation for brutality. Many were carrying huge bundles of clothes, pots and bedding on their heads and swaddled infants on their chests. Even young children balanced sacks of food on their heads, walking along rutted roads in bare feet.

From the Associated Press

Thousands spent the night sleeping on the muddy ground, with no protection from tropical showers.

Read the rest:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444385,00.html

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships reportedly attacked positions of Kurdish rebels just inside Turkey along the border with Iraq on Wednesday, as Turkey’s military stepped up its anti-rebel operations.

As the military stepped up its anti-rebel operations, civilian and military leaders discussed the scope and duration of a possible cross-border offensive — a move that Turkey’s Western allies are trying to prevent.

Several F-16 warplanes loaded with bombs took off from an air base in southeastern city of Diyarbakir….Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071024/
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ea/turkey_iraq;_ylt=AmTX5pXDRgW1EpPYy_
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