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| Marines from 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines don their packs and prepare
for in-processing after arriving in Agadir, Morocco, April 7 to
support Exercise African Lion 2012. These Marines are responsible for
overseeing the field training portion of the exercise. AL-12 is a U.S.
African Command-sponsored, Marine Forces Africa-led exercise involving
various types of training including command post, live-fire and
maneuvering, peace support operations, an intelligence capacity
building seminar, aerial refueling/low-level flight raining, as well
as medical and dental assistance projects. AL-12 will promote
multi-national cooperation and mutual understanding of each nation's
military tactics and procedures. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Main) |
African Lion.
Camp Lemonnier.
Two MEU's operating in Central Command's area of operations.
Two carriers operating in Central Command's area of operations.
Images at Camp Lemonnier have been frozen. As a matter of fact images of the region have been frozen for at least the past two weeks (check Google Earth and the exact same pic from almost a month ago of Camp Lemonnier is still shown...not one airplane has moved....they're all in the same spots).
We're seeing a military buildup right before our eyes. Notice I haven't included what Army units are doing. Nor have I listed USAF or SOCOM assets.
Something seems to be brewing, I just can't put my finger on it.
It might have been planned as a move to put pressure on either Syria or Iran, but might end up being used south of Lybia with the islamist takeover of northern Mali... Or it might have been intended to play against either piracy in a big way or to intervene in Yemen, were things are still not quite despite media silence...
ReplyDeletei think you and i are the only ones that are even slightly aware of this or keeping an eye on it.
ReplyDeleteto be quite honest i'm alarmed. we don't need another war and it smells like one to me. it might be a SOCOM affair but those guys are stretched too.
In Europe we are quite well aware of the events currently going on in Mali, in part because it was a former French colony and because the currents events there are a consequence of the franco-british led operation in Lybia. Also it's quite close to us and will mean a direct migration influx.
ReplyDeletePiracy is the focus of a very good french defense blog which shows quite a stronger strategy being pursued there, with reinforcement of embarqued protection details, building up of logistical bases for those embarqued protection teams, shore operations for ships, more preemptive strikes against suspected pirates,... And most of those operations come from the UE-led Atalanta mission rather than from the NATO-led TF...
Yemen, I've not been taking a close look there (no one's really been... a mistake but a guy can't be everywhere), still I've not heard the situation had gone back to normal.
Syria, even our own belgian foreign affairs minister has been talking of NATO or EU men on the ground, and the position of Turkey in this affair is going stronger and stronger every day. I would not be surprised if they finally acted uniterally and if the reported mining of the land approaches by syrian forces were not to deter such an unilateral operation rather than for preventing civilians from crossing the border.
Iran, that's the big unknown, but they have to feel a bit nervous at such amount of power going their way, especially with the success of the Iron Dome in the last attack on Israel. Soon their future nuke will be rendered useless by the isrealy multi-tiers shield and they will be truly open to attack. The only issue is the Hormuz, and then there are now enough ships enroute or in place to keep it open, even with the shore-based missile threat.
i am unsure its related to iran or syria, remember its under Africa command not central command, and if they were planning a conflict in the middle east central command would be in charge, unless its a diversion meant not to spook syria or Iran. i think its more likely a move against piracy and extremism is somalia and other places.
ReplyDeleteSol, we've been doing these ops for a bit. 2nd aabn went on Africa partnership 2011 not to long ago, and Africa lion isn't new, just like sps's occur every year in south America. I think with the draw down in afgan your hearing more about this. Now if something does heat up its always nice we have units there, but in the same way we've had units going to Georgia for a bit to train them. It's what the corps been doing to keep its face out there and remind people were here don't f with us
ReplyDelete