"Truth Stranger than Fiction - Libya to Bomb Korean Tanker?" Topic

Man, new conflicts are getting ready to break out all over the place, but this is a really strange one.

Libya threatens to bomb a North Korean tanker, if they continue to load fuel oil from a rebel held port.

Not really sure what a NK tanker is doing in the Med, but suspect it's a shady deal, and illegal arms are involved.

Now, I'm not aware Libya even has any serviceable aircraft, or pilots left (last ones I heard about defected, and flew to Sicily and Malta, if I'm not mistaken). Perhaps they have a cadre of suicide bombers specially trained, and ready for naval assaults.

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Should be interesting to see what happens.

Also, makes me wonder which shoe is going to drop next?

On a related note, China vows "….to defend every inch of
'sovereign' territory", but also states they won't be making unjustified claims against smaller nations (Baghdad Bob, move over, you've been replaced in the annals of over the top rhetoric).

Someone once said,

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars"

Well, the Libyans (Navy, Coast Guard, or whatever they call their maritime military service) apparently still have boats, as the article mentions a patrol vessel turning away an earlier (non-North Korean) tanker visit, so the official government could still attack the tanker from the water.

Rob

They have a handful of slightly-serviceable Fishbeds and Floggers. Even just a few FAB-250s or barrel bombs would be enough to put the fear of God into the Norks.

Where the rest of the LAAF's tacair went- I have no idea.

That should bring some action from the UN!

You can kill/gas as many of your citizens as you want, but, don't you DARE pollute the oceans!

They fired on a Maltese tanker earlier this week

confused
thought the rebels ousted Gadhafi and became the new government,is there a new bunch of rebels again?

@ Tony58 I hear you. Oh I hear yer.

Don't like either the Libyian thugs or the Norks … it's a win-win if they start shooting and killing each other …

thought the rebels ousted Gadhafi and became the new government,is there a new bunch of rebels again?

Nope, there were multiple sets of competing factions. No one faction has/had enough power to control the entire country, so this is either one of the 'rebel' groups, or it might be the remains of Kadaffi's forces.

In either event, the 'official' powers in Libya don't like this group. I hope this doesn't turn into a shooting match, but I can't really stress over this.

Someone once said,

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars"

Yeah just like the last two thousand years.

But wait. If they still have the patrol boats why bomb? They could just board her.

The tanker got away with oil, and of course NK is claiming that it is not heading for Korea peninsula…

I heard it was indeed attacked, but no further details of the altercation.

Contradicting reports of it being captured by the Libyan government.
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I've seen in the news that it was captured by Seal team in international waters near Cyprus. In the end looks like we don't know all real details….
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Yep, definitely another strange scenario twist.

Makes me wonder what is really going on.

Hmmm, I wonder if the oil was destined for Syria, which could probably use some of it right now. Not sure they have the ability to refine it though.

I guess Al Qaeda, or their splinter groups might want it as well, for the profits a sale of it would bring.

In either case, I can see why the Seals might intervene to put a stop to that.

Just because the flag was North Korean doesn't mean that the ship, or the crew are North Korean. The crew, in any case, wil be ordinary seamen making a living, like everybody else, with no control over their owner's or their charterer's deals, so it seems a bit harsh to enjoy the idea of them being bombed.