This, gentle readers, is what you get when you have no actual, consistent, foreign policy based on the interests of the United States. Via Fox News:
The recent theft of massive amounts of highly sensitive U.S. military equipment from Libya is far worse than previously thought, Fox News has learned, with raiders swiping hundreds of weapons that are now in the hands of militia groups aligned with terror organizations and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The equipment, as Fox News previously reported, was used for training in Libya by U.S. Special Forces. The training team, which was funded by the Pentagon, has since been pulled, partly in response to the overnight raids last August.
According to State Department and military sources, dozens of highly armored vehicles called GMV’s, provided by the United States, are now missing. The vehicles feature GPS navigation as well as various sets of weapon mounts and can be outfitted with smoke-grenade launchers. U.S. Special Forces undergo significant training to operate these vehicles. Fox News is told the vehicles provided to the Libyans are now gone.
Along with the GMV’s, hundreds of weapons are now missing, including roughly 100 Glock pistols and more than 100 M4 rifles. More disturbing, according to the sources, is that it seems almost every set of night-vision goggles has also been taken. This is advanced technology that gives very few war fighters an advantage on the battlefield.
Great. Just great. What this means is not only more dead Libyans—and others—but ultimately, dead Americans.
It’s not just equipment … it’s the capability. You are giving these very dangerous groups the capability that only a few nations are capable of,’ one source said. ‘Already assassinations are picking up in Tripoli and there are major worries that the militias are using this stolen equipment to their advantage. All these militias are tied into terrorist organizations and are tied to (salafists).
Oh well, if it’s only the Salafists…
The ‘salafists’ are a jihadist movement among Salafi Muslims. This growing movement in Libya directly endangers the U.S.-supported government, and sources worry that this sensitive equipment is now going to be used by these groups in an attempt to overthrow the government and install a more hardline Muslim leadership.
Some diplomats, who asked to remain anonymous, say they are seeing the kinds of conditions that opened the door to the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack now appearing in Tripoli and across the rest of Libya. They worry that American convoys and western convoys will be attacked using these stolen weapons and vehicles.
‘The European ambassador was attacked and we are now commonly seeing robbing and attacking of people in broad daylight. … This isn’t perception, this is actually happening,’ said one source. The source was referring to an August incident where an escort vehicle for the European Union ambassador was attacked in Tripoli.
So, President Obama ordered the bombing of–somebody—in Libya to depose the dictator, who, while a dictator, had actually surrendered his most dangerous weapons, fearing that the US would depose him. Because Mr. Obama didn’t want to really get involved, there was no military presence to establish and maintain stability, so with Qadaffi dead, the government collapsed and the entire country degenerated to anarchic chaos.
But because a wide open country in North Africa attracts terrorists, criminals and other socially charming elements like flies to carrion, we sent in special forces to train—somebody. When it gets dangerous—because, you know, we bombed somebody or other and destroyed all stability in the country—we pull the special forces out and leave nobody guarding some of the most advanced military equipment ever made.
It is, therefore, an enormous surprise worthy of a Louis Renault award, that terrorists would steal that equipment. I’m shocked, shocked!
Meanwhile, special operators told Fox News that training camps throughout eastern Libya continue to train terrorists, and border controls right now around the country are non-existent in most areas.
‘The theft of these weapons and the open borders are feeding Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood and threatens Libya’s neighbors as well. It’s already bad. … and now it’s really bad.
Barack Obama is just getting started. We haven’t see really bad yet. But we do know who Mr. Obama considers the real enemies of America: Conservatives. Middle Eastern jihadists, dictators, and Persian religious lunatics in search of nuclear weapons are Mr. Obama’s friends.
And so a foreign policy full of meaningless rhetoric like “Arab Spring,” “smart diplomacy,” “reset,” and similarly clever names that have turned out to be anything but clever, has armed our most determined and vicious enemies with some of our most effective and dangerous weapons and equipment.
But not to worry. Mr. Obama can pursue diplomacy with—well, with—somebody in Libya… I’m sure the Russians, Syrians and Iranians will be glad to help. Even though the Iranian president refused to so much as meet with Mr. Obama at the UN, he must be just waiting for the right moment to help Mr. Obama get all those war materials back. And right after that, he’ll turn over all Iran’s nuclear materials too.
Stately McDaniel Manor 
” guarding some of the most advanced military equipment ever made.” — that being the M4, NVGs, and Humvees equipped with military grade On-star. Unless you are talking about the timeless quality of such equipment, in which case the long bow still makes the list. Not the VTOL, the knock-an-arrow kind.
Look, I am not happy about theft of property either, but guns? Meh. Slug throwers aren’t exactly in short supply. The Humvee (vehicle) loss makes it relevant due to any comm systems that might be mounted it it, at least until you think that should such equipment actually get used, its a proverbial flare gun. The component parts are of more value than the whole of it, lets face it, an HV rolling around draws a bit of attention, given the usual profile for insurgent vehicles. I am personally more worried about downed Apaches, commandeered drones, and Black Hawk wreckage being sold off to super powers than a crate of Glocks being distributed.
NVGs? Sure, depending on the generation, are a significant strategic windfall for whomever might have them, though it begs the question if such a resource was so vital to a terrorist organization… the technology has been around for a bit. Why are ‘they’ not already equipped with it? Speaking generally, you are going to have such gear on some one trained, and some one trained, by the nature of such training should have already been outfitted. You don’t slap valuable gear on cannon fodder, know what I mean?
Interesting read, though, and historically speaking, it would be interesting to know in the past, say… 3 decades exactly how much money in gear has gone MIA in a theater. MUCH more interesting than… say… Twitter followers. :cough:
As much as it galls me to agree with RoO, he does have a point. What’s a few Glocks and M4s between friends? Muslims are happy to kill you with whatever’s to hand. America is capable of despatching armed might into the Muslim heartlands and dishing out death at the flick of switch. Muslims are impotent on any conventional battlefield, they’re just hotspots on a computer screen.
Rumour has it that Stevens was running guns, maybe those weapons weren’t ‘lost’?
Dear Keith Sandford:
You’re correct in that M-4s and Glocks are not in the same class as our more high-tech weaponry and accessories, but they would certainly be a concern to any American or American soldier shot with one of them. Having our firearms also makes it easier for terrorists to impersonate US or other friendly troops in attacks. Night vision is a substantial force multiplier, even if it is not the current generation of equipment, and that too can be very dangerous to the good guys. And while we do have very effective stand-off weapons, a great deal of war is still fought with boots on the ground.
Ultimately, the real issue is the principle. Why are we in any nation if we’re not willing to protect our people, our assets, and military equipment that will–not could–be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands?
As you note, we’re also not sure exactly what has been going on in Libya, hence Mr. Obama’s lies and obfuscation.
There in lay the problem. We don’t know WHO got them, do we? Some have opined that its us supplying a certain force that prompted the Benghazi attack.
Considering we have been meddling in places we should have never gone for decades I’m sure a lot of this stuff was already in the hands of terrorists. NVG’s are easy to buy if you have the funds. Up to gen 4 can be ordered and delivered overnight here. Sure there are export restrictions but considering there are already hundreds if not thousands of Muslim fanatics in this country who’s keeping track. We are talking about an enemy with virtually unlimited cash thanks to the Saudis and Iran. If rumors are true we even have embassies selling the stuff to the highest bidder. The real danger we face is a president who feels we need to be taken down a few notches to make things “fair”. More or less a traitor living in our white house.
Dear DNS Guns:
You’re quite right. All manner of equipment can be purchased on the open market. It’s rather more serious when our Commander in Chief, by design or negligence, allows terrorists to have equipment paid for by the taxpayers for free, particularly when it is a virtual certainty it will be used against our troop and allies.
This is the sort of thing that would have been an enormous scandal for previous presidents. Now, our expectations of Barack Obama are so low, we merely shrug at gross incompetence, the deaths of our own people, and criminality that would put anyone else in prison.
Let’s not forget that Obama isn’t the only one supplying arms to terrorists. Eric Holder is just as guilty for forcing dealers to sell weapons that they knew were straw purchases to limit our gun rights. Remember how the press would say almost daily how most guns seized in Mexico came from rogue dealers in the USA.
Dear DNS Guns:
Quite so. In fact, a judge just refused to toss out the case against Holder filed by the Congress.
It will be interesting to see if it goes anywhere. The one thing the batfe is concerned with is straw purchases. They harp on it every time we are contacted. Flyers in the mail, etc. One of the quickest way to loose you license is allow a straw buyer or even a hint of it. Like every other criminal activity with these clowns though I’m sure it will be a big broom job.