The Belgian defense had hit a plane and a hangar. Supporting video (updated)
(BRUXELLES2) The Belgian defense finally broadcast the images that we had been able to see - under the seal of the most total secrecy in Araxos - on Monday. To be sure that we were not going to register on the sly, the soldiers had asked us to leave all our electronic "hardware" (mobile phones, computers... and of course cameras) at the door of the briefing room. Nor could any indication be transcribed from what we had seen. And no indication of the location of the strike had been given to us. A necessary secret to comply with NATO instructions: no dissemination of images of operations ". The journalists respected these security instructions (*). But not the... Pentagon!
The Pentagon spills the beans...
As Brussels2 revealed on Tuesday (read **: Half of the strikes on Libya, made in the USA), the Pentagon spokesman has, in fact, very officially unveiled a map showing the location of the strikes, mentioning a small flag on Mezdah/Mizdah. Information which he apparently did not keep his allies informed of. The Belga agency then disseminated the information, taken up by other colleagues, who specified that these strikes had caused civilian victims by ricochet (seeFigaro article).
A flag error? !
The spokesman for the Minister of Defense confirmed that the objective assigned to the Belgians was not an ammunition depot but an aviation hangar - where helicopters and planes were stored -. The Belgian flag appearing on the US map would therefore be incorrect, because it would in fact be Norwegian planes. The Norwegians have not confirmed this information (nor denied). Let's hope that Americans know how to distinguish the flag of Gaddafi's forces and that of the opposition 🙂
Watch the video ( here)
A mig and an aircraft hangar
On these images, we can see a destroyed plane (probably a Mig), parked on the edge of the runway, as well as a shelter containing "planes and helicopters", according to the Belgian defense, and probably also ammunition. What is surprising is the small hole left by the bomb (leaving the roof almost intact) while the intensity of the blast is lateral, exploding all the interior and, in the distance, the doors of the hangar. There is therefore a primary effect: the impact of the bomb. And the side effects: the power of the breath is important and the heat released, all around, is considerable. Consequence: collateral damage – a hangar door that flies over several tens (or hundreds) of meters for example – can do as much damage as a bomb on civilian homes or unprotected humans.
(*) Brussels2 has respected this embargo by choosing another method. Rather than insisting on secrecy and keystrokes, we preferred to talk about methods. And, above all, we looked for information from other sources, notably the US (to tell the truth!). Information of which the Belgian defense did not seem to have wind.
(**) I have no way of verifying the information. But the article leaves me skeptical. A hospital located 5 km from the military depot targeted by the coalition and which would have received a "Katioucha rocket" by a "ricochet effect"... hum. We can also say that a Katyusha rocket was fired directly at the hospital to make believe in an induced effect of the bombardment. It seemed more logical.
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