War Nerd Alert: This Guy Look Libyan to You?

The War Nerd / August 31, 2011

By Gary Brecher

Dude on the right look local?

A sharp-eyed reader named Pete S. sent me a picture off an Al Jazeera blog on Libya with what Pete thinks might be an SAS operator taking in the parade. This is the guy on the right in this photo, the one holding the rifle with the scope. The one with the badass fingerless leather gloves.

He does look a little pale for a Libyan, but then a whole lot of people have wandered along the North African coast at one time or another and passed some time with the local ladies, so I’d imagine there’s quite a lively gene pool in those parts.

But this guy does look better equipped, older and more professional than most of the insurgents. And he’s holding that scoped rifle in proper rest position, like he’s been trained. Of course he could just be ex-Libyan army. What really makes me think he’s a European is that turban. Something about these Euros, once they hit the desert they just can’t wait to get into local costume.

So maybe Pete’s right, and we’ve got live pix of Lawrence of Libya. Although if he is a foreign ringer, his name’s more likely to be Pierre of Libya, because it’s the French who are really taking the lead in this one.

So what do Libyan readers make of this shot?

Is this guy a fellow Libyan, entitled to wear an “I Survived Big Q” t-shirt? Or is he what us Americans like to call an “advisor,” as in advising people to lie down and die when he puts one in their heads with that fancy gun of his?

You tell me.

UPDATE: Pete just informed me that the picture has been taken down from Al Jazeera’s blog.

Read more: freedom, french, Libya, sas, Gary Brecher, The War Nerd

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60 Comments

Add your own

1. Pascual Gorostieta | August 31st, 2011 at 12:16 pm
His attire reminds me of that of the PMCs in “The Hurt Locker”. I will agree that he does give off a certain air of professionalism that the Libyan rebels typically haven’t in other pictures. Combine this with the picture being taken down it could very well be an “adviser”.
That and a Romanian PSL isn’t that fancy John, err Gary.
2. Michal | August 31st, 2011 at 12:18 pm
I’ve seen that picture on Al Jazeera’s blog myself and I’ve been wondering about it.
He does look really pale, a bit too neat for a Libyan, too…”localised” a lot of the rebels wear western clothes, chiq shirts and baseball caps. This guy, he looks like he’s trying to blend in too hard.
On the other hand, I’d hate to judge him as a foreigner merely on the basis of his European looks, as you’ve said Gary a lot of people wandered around north coast of Africa, including Italians who stayed around for a while and left genetic trace in Libya in addition to penchant for pasta among the locals.
I’ve seen another pale guy before who definitely wasn’t a foreigner.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV2drSvflrI&feature=related
One of the famous videos where I do think I’ve seen foreigners was the one where rebels make a bunch of guys eat a dead dog. If anyone ever doubted mercenaries fought for Gaddafi, he should watch it. Bam, Slavonic faces in the middle of a desert, in uniforms, with a neat military haircut. It was put on the net around the time Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda leaked the story about Belarussian mercenaries fighting for Gaddafi: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=288_1300897750
3. rhinohorn | August 31st, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Dear War Nerd,
Probably israeli Mista’aravim commando of Sayeret Matkal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistaravim
The israelis are all over the place playing Arab rebels and “Al Qaeda”, like the ones who got caught in Egypt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTYoaVVPWM
The Libyan rebels already contacted the expat Libyan Jewish leaders to run for positions in the new “democratic” government. It is the express wish of the Muslim, Arab, Libyan pro-democracy rebels, to have the Jews running their country for them!
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=234992
4. gwern | August 31st, 2011 at 12:49 pm
What would a special ops dude be doing watching some trucks?
5. vk | August 31st, 2011 at 12:55 pm
interestingly, the “fancy gun” is the SVD, the Degtiariov Sniper Rifle, probably the one least conspicuous in those parts (after all, the CCCP has been selling (or giving away) arms to Libya since the day Muhammar took power).
6. CRABS | August 31st, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Hardly worth speculating on. There have been a bunch of people from here in the UK of Libyan descent who’ve gone over to fight amongst the rebels. Could just be as simple as that.
7. Tim | August 31st, 2011 at 1:57 pm
He’s using a version of a Dragunov sniper rifle.
8. Tim | August 31st, 2011 at 2:03 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragunov_sniper_rifle
9. Tank Bricklayer | August 31st, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Great, now Obama’s gonna have to have him whacked because his cover is blown.
10. proletariat | August 31st, 2011 at 2:48 pm
the fact that it got taken down leads me to believe that the man is an operator.
now, for whom? the only 3 choices are really the CIA (Who has the exact same interests as the Mossad), the Mossad or the French DGSE (Who are heavily infiltrated and almost totally controlled by the Mossad)
So yeah, Mossad agent.
11. BlottoBonVismarck | August 31st, 2011 at 3:21 pm
AXIS (OF USUK EVIL)
FASCIST NEWS – No, Really! News OF USUK Fascism! –
> “It is plain that there is a great deal of support from ordinary citizens of Tripoli for the rebellion.” – C. Murray –
What the hell are you smoking? This was a fascist USUK Empire enterprise from the beginning. The MSM coverage has been pure propaganda. We have _no_ idea of what is going on and certainly no idea of any support for the USUK Empire proxy force.
Mahdi Nazemroaya reports from Tripoli and explains _exactly_ what was going on – a USUK Empire oil grab, complete with fake journos – CIA and MI6 – locating citizen roadblocks for NATO and having them bombed to hell at night. Very instructive. – Now (very badly) edited to remove ‘fake CNN journos – actually CIA, MI6,’ (MN in?) ‘raid on their room to discover gps / military radios to pass locations of civilian roadblocks to Nato for overnight bombing,’ and other amusing giving-the-USUK-fascists-the-finger-bigtime stuff! Followed by MN broadcasting of two attempts on their lives by the CIA, MI6 fascists. After which MN and the other independent journalists were separated from the MSM fascist lickspittles and toadies posing as Somdomites (sic, ER, actual journalists) and guarded by armed Libyans for their own safety. Whoever says Tripoli under Gaddafi was a dull soulless East Germany, with sunshine ??? Not as far as Mahdi Nazemroaya is concerned!
– ‘Mahdi Nazemroaya reports from Tripoli,’ August 22, 2011, Information Clearing House –
– http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28915.htm
Stephen Lendman says that polls report 85% plus support for Ghaddafi and rising with every Nato bomb dropped on the Libyans.
– ‘West media reports on Libya false,’ August 23, 2011 – Press TV –
– http://www.presstv.ir/detail/195413.html
For a man who showed commendable disgust at, and great personal courage in exposing, British and US support for torture, and their War Criminal rendering of prisoners to Uzbekistan for torture, where Muslims are boiled to death, you appear to be having an extreme case of Nelson’s telescope problem. “I see no USUK fascism.”
Well, if you put the bloody telescope to your good eye you might have some hope!
Mind you, the following makes me think I must have got it wrong. I do hope so! –
Afghanistan in one sentence, from Craig Murray – UK ambassador to Uzbekistan – “There are so many lies about Afghanistan; it’s about money; it’s about oil; it’s about drugs; it’s about the abuse of human rights; it’s about degradation; it’s about all of us paying through our taxes for wars that benefit a tiny clique.” – Craig Murray – UK/USA made use of Uzbek torture Pt2 –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MQoG5wfx5g#t=09m56s
Tony Blair, Bush and Cheney – ‘Boiling for Britain / US’ – Muzafar Avazov –
– http://jamblichus.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/boileddude.jpg
NUREMBERG MK II
Meanwhile the US (In)Justice Department is deaf, dumb and blind to the crimes of the US Neo-Con-Nazis’s of the last nine years. Crimes of US torture, murder, death squads, illegal war, crimes against humanity and crimes against the laws of war. US war criminals sleep easy in their beds. No change there, then!
“The Neo-Cons, ER, Nazis, were careerists who instituted the industrial killing of millions in an effort to please Our Dear Leader, Comrade Cheney, ER, Hitler, and win promotion.” “You cannot just order the killing of hundreds of thousands of people. No normal person would do such a thing.” –
– The original clip was utterly damning of the US Neo-Con Nazis. Naturally it was memory-holed and replaced by an entirely _newly-edited_ one!!! (Extraordinary attention to what seems to be a minor detail. Big Brother truly!) So supply your own soundtrack! – Now deleted entirely, and for good reason, as per the above! –
– US Bathwater / Neo-Con Nazis – just like this lovely fellow? – WW2 – Heydrich –
– WW2 – Heydrich –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1NXE55LBE#t=01m20s
Poor USUK Neo-Cons – Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Gates, Our Tony, Cameron, Clegg, Harper, Howard, Rudd, Gilliard, Sarkozy, Berlusconi — Terrified of their date with destiny — A long drop on a short rope. – Nuremberg Mk II. –
Mk I for comparison – Nuremberg Executions of N_zi Leaders for ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ and ‘Crimes Against the Laws of War.’ – Original –
– http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=95d_1206462963
EUROPE
Where then is sane? Europe – A progressive land of milk and honey, where the crazy right wing is ‘Norwegian conservative guy’ @ 1.20. Excepting USUK-Neo-Con-Nazi-Quisling ‘Bonkers’ Breivik, naturally. From Michael Moore’s Sicko. –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svSUCbClg8E
“Surely you can’t be serious?” you say? You _were_ awake for the last ten years we hope. In which case your mind had better be on ‘Permanent Suspicion Of Everybody. Except Yourself. And Sometimes You Wonder About Yourself.’ –
“I am serious and don’t call me Shirley.” – Airplane –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7qoonzTCE#t=00m08s
12. BlottoBonVismarck | August 31st, 2011 at 3:37 pm
AXIS (OF USUK EVIL) – 2
FASCIST NEWS – No, Really! News of USUK Fascism! –
> “It is plain that there is a great deal of support from ordinary citizens of Tripoli for the rebellion.” – C. Murray –
Craig Murray blind to USUK fascism? Put the telescope to your _good_ eye, man! –
– http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/08/fall-of-tripoli/
‘Achtung Stuka!’ – ‘Our brave boys’ over North Africa. –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBXApgTWz0
‘Allies?’, OOPS, No. – ‘Axis Powers PLC – an Oil division (geddit?) of USUK Empire Murder-Illegal-War-‘n-Genocide-R’-USUK. (*) ; )
It is an outrage to suggest that the Axis powers (**) are in any way engaged in a fascist war of Aggression — the supreme war crime for which the USUK hanged the leaders of Germany and Japan after World War 2.
No indeed.
But as the newly formed ‘Axis Powers PLC’ — tm Rarl Kove — the leaders of the US, UK, France, Italy, Canada and Australia appear to be suffering from an uncomfortable feeling around the neck.
(ER, Rope burns? Psychosomatic. Expecting a long drop on a short noose. Just a suggestion. Ed.)
Today, under new Neo-Con neo-liberal management – Proprietors Obama, Clinton, Gates, Cameron, Clegg, Harper, Gilliard, Sarkozy, and Berlusconi.
Any connection to the policies of the previous management of predecessor ‘Axis (of Evil) Inc’ is purely accidental. Previous proprietors – Cheney, Bush_the_Boy_Emperor, Rumsfeld, Gates, Our Tony, Howard, Rudd, Harper, Sarkozy and Berlusconi.
(Some names bear uncanny resemblances to their predecessors. Just sayin’.) (*) Surely you can’t be serious? Ed.)
“I am serious and don’t call me Shirley.” – Airplane –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7qoonzTCE#t=00m08s
(**) It was the fascist side — the Axis side — who started World War 2 with the supreme war crime – the crime of unprovoked Aggression against sovereign nations. For which the leaders were summarily hanged after World War 2 and a fair trial – at Nuremberg.
Just like the USUK and their Neo-Con-satraps Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Gates, Our Tony, Cameron, Clegg, Harper, Howard, Rudd, Gilliard, Sarkozy and Berlusconi, notwithstanding the ‘WW2 Allies’ PR bull@#$$.
Terrified of their date with destiny — A long drop on a short noose – Nuremberg Mk II? “Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow. But soon, and for the rest of their lives.” With thanks to Rick – Casablanca –
– Where are Victor Laszlo, Rick and Capitain Renault when we need them to drown out the fascists?
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt1vQ81jNWw
More north-African desert ‘WW2 Allies’ fairy-stories – “Look at that suprasternal notch!” – “How dare you mention my strings.” – The Toy Patient – @ 2.10 –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KZa9ER9Bg
The real Kristin Scott-Thomas as ‘Ein demon,’ and a cardinal with a very nasty case of skin disease. Could they add _more_ soft focus? ( … ER, probably not – maxed out. And the German dubbing? Priceless. ; ) ) –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HtJlio6Mwk
But spare a thought for the poor bloody Libyans. With Our USUK Axis Fascists bombing them to hell. –
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdBXApgTWz0#t=52s
MORE – from ‘Libya360’ – What’s the first proof of fascism? No sense of humor – hence the attempted assassination of Mahdi Nazemroaya for that dorm-room prank room-raid.
Which then resulted in him outing ‘our brave fascists’ in Tripoli in order to save his own skin. Let’s hope the USUK / Nato Johnny English CNN fake-journos get posted to Nome, Alaska for five years apiece. That might cool their ardor for Boy’s Own murder, illegal war, torture to death and genocide a tad! Faint hope? Probably. –
– http://libya360.wordpress.com/
13. Jews are overrated | August 31st, 2011 at 4:21 pm
The Israelis did not support the toppling of Quadafi. Israel is shitting its britches these days. The Arab spring is likely to produce a layer of leadership in the Arab world that is less likely to arrive at de facto acceptance of Israel. Libya is a second tier problem for Israel – but they still prefer nutty but harmless Qaudafi to an unknown outcome. Egypt and Syria are real concerns. If the revolution wins out in Egypt and the military is curbed, Israel could face a very hostile neighbor. Same to a lesser extent with Syria. Mubarak and Assad talked a bunch of shit but didn’t do shit to oppose Israel. THis is coming to and end with the Arab spring. It also takes away the ideological prop the “Israel is the only democracy in the region.”
To the other commenter, Mossad is vastly over-rated. Even within Israel the best and brightest don’t end up in foreign intel but rather Shabok. Some even suggest the border Popo are more bad ass than the panzies of Mossad. Overall, all Israeli miltary, police and intelligence agencies are over rated. The Israelis are really a bunch of chumps and bullies beating up on street gangs, who lack the resources to build a real guerilla army. The Hezzies showed what a paper tiger Israel is in the summer of 06.
A small number of guerillas with anti-tank missiles ground an enormous war machine to a complete halt, the IDF barely made it back to the Latani that summer. Pussies. And Hezbollah is only a paramilitary org without genuine state power. Both the Isrealis and the Nazis agree that Jews are magic – they only differ in the valence assigned to the magical Jew. Turns out that Jews aren’t magic all all.
14. [sic] and Dumb | August 31st, 2011 at 4:27 pm
You’re a fucking asshole for not reading my comments for your articles. You know me at all?
I’m a fucking idiot.
15. Sick and Wrong | August 31st, 2011 at 4:29 pm
I bet the real reason you were so bitter about those kids in your last article is because your own grand kids don’t skype you.
16. Ryan T | August 31st, 2011 at 5:42 pm
First of all, the picture is not down (http://blogs.aljazeera.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/BlogsMainImage/Libyaliveblognew4578.jpg), and a second one of the same scene was posted as of 16 hours ago. (http://blogs.aljazeera.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/BlogsMainImage/smaller4578.JPG)
And here is one from a different angle: (http://blogs.aljazeera.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/BlogsMainImage/smaller4595.JPG)
Al Jazeera’s live blogs are very glitchy, and links often stop working.
Wanna know who is confirmed to be from the British Isles in this picture? The guy second from left. He is second in command of the newly-formed Tripoli Military council, Mahdi al-Harati. He is Irish, just arrived from Dublin before the rebellion in Libya broke out. How much you wanna bet the pale guy on the right is a merc from a fancy Western firm being paid by the NTC to guard their new #2 military man in T-town? As we saw with Younis, you might not be able to trust your local guns. If I were the NTC, I would figure it would be well worth it to hire some outside guns, just to be sure.
PS: guess which countries use the Dragunov as a standard military sniper rifle? Pretty much everyone east of the Danube. This includes 13 current NATO members (Poland, Turkey, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania). Not to mention a Merc can come from anywhere, including the former eastern bloc. @1 got it right with it being similar in appearance to a Romanian PSL, and again, Romania is a NATO member, and has committed 207 troops to the “war” (http://www.ccoro.org/libya-uprising-romania-dutch-send-troops-to-enforce-libya-embargo/). He could very well be one of these 207.
I think the above commenter @1 is right though – he does look a lot like a merc from Hurt Locker to me.
17. Paul | August 31st, 2011 at 6:03 pm
What the… #10 The highly pro Arab DGSE (like a vast majority of the French diplomatic corps and the entire French population, not that there’s anything wrong with that) controlled by the Mossad? The only one who’s pro Israeli and was even pro G.W Bush is Sarkozy but he’s not been president long enough to revert a tendency that dates back to De Gaulle.
18. Sick and Wrong | August 31st, 2011 at 6:09 pm
There’ve been videos of white boys in the rebel’s midst for months now.
It’s news, sure, from half a year ago.
19. Chris Connolly | August 31st, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Spent too much time in Europe, looking at the local genepool, this gentleman looks Scottish to me, although could well be English either. Doesn’t look French, but this isn’t a precise science, people move around.
20. Zhlobko Yebic | August 31st, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Looks like Belarus has form.
I was in a hotel in Minsk a couple of years ago, and there were a bunch of Arab looking guys that sat around in the breakfast hall with absolutely no badges or markings indicating their origin. Libyans? Iranians? Hezbollah? Syrians? All possible I guess.
In a similar vein, I remember seeing a Russian NTV report about some Belarussian generals being given medals for their insurgency training by Saddam Hussein in Iraq. This was literally less than a month before the err… liberation of Iraq.
I’d say Belarus has demonstrated its capacity as a vocational training provider.
21. COBRADAVE | August 31st, 2011 at 7:29 pm
my instinct was SAS and he is indeed holding a version of a dragunov. I have a hunch CIA is balls deep in this, since the US has the most assets commited more than likely they are commited on the ground. Someones gotta show the locals how to use those laser designaters right Gary? This is about oil more than anything and the americans did open uup their strategic oil reserve not too long ago…
22. Bobby | August 31st, 2011 at 7:30 pm
That’s a Eurie.
Natives don’t get sunburns on their nose.
23. Bhbar | August 31st, 2011 at 7:36 pm
To the guy who says Jews are overrated: wow, just wow. If these guys aren’t one of the top fighting forces in the world who would you put on a list?
Luke, Han and Leia?
24. Brewer | August 31st, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Christ, even the Fox let it out:
Even Fox news has the story:
(O’Reilly) So we hear special forces are already on the ground in Libya. True, Col. Hunt?
RET. COL. DAVID HUNT, U.S. ARMY: Yes, absolutely. You’ve got British service been in there about three weeks ago and actually got captured and released. The French GIGN have been in there and our special forces and our U.S. intelligence operatives and their assets. We do not conduct operations like this, large scale air operations, without people on the ground.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/transcript/are-us-troops-already-ground-libya#ixzz1WItkn3Qs
25. k | August 31st, 2011 at 11:37 pm
it reminds me that one:
http://novostink.ru/uploads/posts/2011-08/1314695195_79.gif
26. k | August 31st, 2011 at 11:38 pm
I mean, neither of the guys looks particularly North African.
27. Olganova, O. O. | September 1st, 2011 at 12:10 am
The individual pictured is Malcolm Perlmutter, a field rep from McKinsey & Co. Given a weapon by FSB phenom Olga Olganovna Olganova, Mr. Perlmutter hasn’t the foggiest fucking idea why he drew the short straw for the Libya billet.
28. Sakevi | September 1st, 2011 at 12:23 am
my two-cents.. the Libyans of antiquity were notoriously fair-skinned and haired. Otherwise. I’m not sure.
29. Ingenjören | September 1st, 2011 at 12:42 am
In the original caption of the image it said that one of the guys in the picture was Irish-Libyan, they sait it was the second guy from the left, but they could have gotten the guys confused, expecially if it is a cropped photo which had more guys in the foreground that description would make sense. But what do I know…
30. Suckerberg | September 1st, 2011 at 3:58 am
Upload the picture to Facebook, the face recognition will find his identity!
31. Bradford C. | September 1st, 2011 at 5:03 am
That gun is absolutely pristine, not a speck of dust or grime on it. I doubt even an ex-Qaddafi soldier could maintain a weapon in such condition without it getting banged up, dragged through the mud, and shit on by the yucks he was stuck with to “lead.”
That’s fresh gear, and all the other indicators are painting the same picture. This dude is fresh as Hell, as if he’d been airdropped in yesterday.
32. A-Lex | September 1st, 2011 at 5:23 am
I would say this Anglo is probably the first turban-clad person I see on footage coming from Libya. Most of them rebels cling to Western-style baseball caps’n’jeans, and the others threw a GI-wannabe costume show as soon as they could get their hands on some NATO supplies.
Hey, does this mean that when NATO gets around to invading Russia your spec op guys will be trying to blend in in Moscow wearing ushanka fur hats? 🙂
33. Ryan T | September 1st, 2011 at 9:06 am
@29 – the Irish-Libyan guy is farthest in the background, with the Abe Lincoln beard wearing Qatari camo.
34. Gatorade | September 1st, 2011 at 10:06 am
It sucks so bad that war nerd has to lose his job so we can read war nerd articles. Someone hire war nerd and pay him to write these and put a shitty caricature illustration of him with a big nose in the corner
35. Oscar Zoroaster | September 1st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Probably European operators for sure. But keep in mind that European slaves had been sold in the markets of the Ottoman Empire right up until 18th century.
I was shocked when I got a cab driver who I thought had a vague Eastern European accent (and looked whiter than my pale Irish ass) was actually from North Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery#Middle_Ages
“Ireland, despite its northern position, was not immune from attacks by the corsairs. In June 1631 Murat Reis, with pirates from Algiers and armed troops of the Ottoman Empire, stormed ashore at the little harbor village of Baltimore, County Cork. They captured almost all the villagers and took them away to a life of slavery in North Africa.[79] The prisoners were destined for a variety of fates—some lived out their days chained to the oars as galley slaves, while others would spend long years in the scented seclusion of the harem or within the walls of the sultan’s palace. Only two of them ever saw Ireland again.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery#Barbary_Corsairs
36. CB | September 1st, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Um, was it supposed to be a secret that there were “advisers” from NATO countries there? I thought this had been stated months ago as part of the support we were giving along with air power.
I do think it’s funny that we’d have pretty much all lost the “Guess who is from Ireland!” game.
37. darthfader | September 1st, 2011 at 4:50 pm
That’s definitely a ratfucker in action. The gloves guarantee it.
Then again, it’s openly known that France, U.S., and Britain are ratfucking the place. But no one cares because Gaddafi ran out of friends and influence around when he gave up his nukes.
38. Fakey Wakey | September 1st, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Anyone know what happened to Hifter? Was he actually arrested as reported? He’s the CIA’s man there, spent 20 years living around DC.
39. climategate2 | September 1st, 2011 at 7:36 pm
i am sincerely asking this question, but if you know the answer it may seem stupid: judging solely from that link for “climate gate 2”, i can’t tell if you’re being serial or not. does this mean that the exile thinks climate gate was a legitimate scandal/ actually exposed wrongdoing?
40. TrangleC | September 1st, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Actually, he doesn’t look very European to me. Pretty arabic looking nose there.
He looks a lot like my aunt’s neighbor who is from Tunisia.
41. Erik Victory | September 1st, 2011 at 11:44 pm
climategate2,
How can you read that headline and not immediately see that it’s a total joke?
42. TrangleC | September 2nd, 2011 at 12:09 am
The more I look at the guy, the more he looks Persian to me.
Imagine him in a western disco with a too neatly trimmed pencil beard, too much hair gel, a brightly colored silk blouse that reveals too much chest hair and a lot of golden jewelry hanging off him.
Do you see it?
No idea what a Persian would do there though. Perhaps French special forces are a bit more ethnically diversified than the British or even US ones?
But like I said in my previous comment, he could very well be a local.
43. Pascual Gorostieta | September 2nd, 2011 at 12:23 am
Damn. Ralph Feinnes takes his roles seriously.
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/File:THL-AKMS-2.jpg
44. DhulKarnain | September 2nd, 2011 at 2:19 am
Is this the same guy?
Video Description: France 24 accompanies a group of rebels led by an Irish-Libyan named Sam as they battle their way into Tripoli on August 21, engaging in numerous skirmishes along the way.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d22_1314916981
45. Turri | September 2nd, 2011 at 4:00 am
Might be one of the “Tripoli Brigade”, expats coming back to fight, trained in the Nafusa Mountains.
http://www.zeit.de/politik/2011-08/libyen-rebellen
46. X | September 2nd, 2011 at 11:31 am
No need to speculate on this photo. On CBS, I saw a brawny white guy wearing bermudas detaining one of Gaddafi’s mercs. He looked totally out of place with the rebels around him.
47. Pascual Gorostieta | September 2nd, 2011 at 2:36 pm
At 44 and 45 smart money on the in the picture being Sam. He has very similar gloves and is seen using the PSL, the same rifle he is holding in the photo. He used it to great effect in the Liveleak video I must add. Even if the guy might not be European military the guy and many other expats that went back to fight might have gotten a crash course in military training from the European countries. That or they were probably smart enough to read books on irregular warfare and small unit tactics.
48. ariot | September 3rd, 2011 at 5:43 pm
the only think out of place is weapon discipline. it’s clean. his fingers appear to be out of the trigger well, and it oriented in a safe direction.
who cares though, hell he’s probably from Big Oil. Zoom in and look for drool.
49. Ratfucker | September 4th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Really, I was just there thinking about lunch.
50. hans | September 5th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Most of the commentators seem to think this is fun what is going on in Libya. I presume most if all are from US/EU, you are complicit in war crimes. Don’t tell me that I do not support the war etc etc, in a democracy if such thing exists all citizens are responsible for the actions of their government.
51. D | September 6th, 2011 at 9:35 am
That guys looks like Mossad to me.
Yeah, the moderators pretty much think that all the news they pretend to care so deeply about is a joke here. The joke is on you for believing their reporting to be without an agenda. They are laughing at your sincerity as you comment.
Moderate me please, for I am with the pansies.
52. informer | September 8th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
There has been a large number of Muslim Europeans fighting in Libya , an example can be seen in Husam Najjair who was born in Dublin Ireland but had a Libyan father and believed that he was needed to help rid Libyan of a tyrant http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Dublin-born-Libyan-rebel-in-frontline-of-war-against-Gaddafi-126572258.html
53. TJ | September 15th, 2011 at 5:37 am
As already posted the guy pictured is Husam Najjair.
See him in the following videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np-TR2wSRGI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R605xjoi2I4
54. ScutFarkas | October 18th, 2011 at 1:43 am
At first I was going to say that the slight “dip” of his nose below the “tip” seemed to make the nose more characteristic of Semitic peoples than the comparably-sized Celtic or English versions of that nose. However, what clinched it for me are the EYEBROWS. Look at the eyebrows- totally British.
55. DeeboCools | November 9th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Is it this guy? http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/with-gaddafi-dead-matthew-vandyke-who-joined-libyan-rebels-finally-returns-to-md/2011/11/05/gIQAipAoqM_story.html
56. felix | November 9th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
It must be the Irish contingent – is this the chap second from the left?
http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2011/11/cia-paid-anti-gaddafi-forces.html
57. felix | November 9th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Oh it is…forgot to notice comments 29 & 33 above. The guy had a bit of bad luck lately….
58. Trevor | November 15th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Okay, I’m late to this but I’d like to cast a vote for western special forces. I want to say British since they are ridiculously fond of the head-wrapping and also because, well, I don’t know what French SF troops look like. Probably a point in their favor, means they take that “quiet professional” stuff seriously.
59. LibyanGuy325 | September 12th, 2012 at 10:48 pm
We have many light skinned Libyans in Libya with blue eyes blonde hair green eyes you name it. They are originally from the mountain areas in Libya.
60. salom | August 14th, 2014 at 8:26 pm
He would have been better served if he he took to the locals and wore the attire of the blo9ke on the left.