Bombing of Zlitan by the RAF

This is an update on the recent HRI report on the RAF bombing of Zlitan which reportedly killed 85 civilians including children.

According to the BBC (who have avoided reporting that the RAF as the perpetrator):

Almost 48 hours after the first strike hit the cluster of buildings in the countryside to the south of Zlitan, Nato said it had completed its assessment of what happened.

It confirmed it had hit the area, targeting four buildings and nine vehicles at the site between 23.33 on Monday and 02.34 on Tuesday.

The times for the strikes correspond with those given by people in the area.

Nato went on: “We monitored this military compound very carefully before striking.”

“Our assessment, based on the level of destruction of the buildings, confirms the likelihood of military and mercenary casualties. The allegation of civilian casualties made by the Gaddafi regime was not corroborated by available factual information at the site.”

Now further video evidence has emerged. This is highly disturbing footage and shows body parts and dead children as well as the grief and anger of the survivors and relatives of the dead in the immediate aftermath and at the hospital. It is clear that those helping survivors of the first strike were hit by the second and third strikes.

WARNING GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

The bombing of a “staging area” in Zlitan on the night of 8/9 August is confirmed on the RAF web site.

This raid, launched from RAF Marham was a night-time raid using GR4 Tornados as part of Operation Ellamy. The weapons used were either Paveway 4 or more likely Brimstone bombs which cost £105,000 each. As it was a night-time raid the most likely squadron responsible was the 9 Squadron (motto: “Throughout the night we fly” which is based at RAF Marham. (other squadrons based there and include the 31 Squadron, 13 Squadron and 2(AC) Squadron). After the mission was completed the planes involved landed at Gioia del Colle in Italy.

There is more information on the Tornado and the Brimstone thanks to a presentation given by pilot Fl Lt Mark Lawson and Weapons Systems Officer Fl Lt James Cooke of 9 Squadron , who took time out from attacking Libya to give a presentation at the stand of the Brimstone bomb manufacturer MBDA (Motto: “Lock on to MBDA solutions” based at 11 Strand, London) at the Paris Air Show arms fair.

Responsibility for the bombing of a civilian area at night and the inevitable civilian casualities lies with the military leadership of NATO including Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard and Admiral Stavridis and on the political leadership including William Hague and David Cameron who must have given the go-ahead to an atttack of this nature.