Operation Oil Theft: Month 4, Week 1, Day 1.

Today (4/6/11) Britain finally deployed ground attack helicopters against Libya. Overnight two Apaches engaged Libyan government targets near Brega in the east of the country. This suggests that the helicopters will be used as out and out anti-personnel weapons flying low and using their mini gun and Hellfire missiles to kill people. In effect they will be acting as an airborne two man fire team each providing the other with cover while providing air cover for any infantry advance. Unlike the more traditional Helarm anti-tank tactic which uses wave after wave of helicopters to identify and destroy targets this tactic leaves the Apaches more exposed to shoulder launched anti-aircraft missiles and even guided anti-tank weapons like the MILAN and the Spigot.

Obviously one single attack by a pair of Apaches has not suddenly changed the course of the conflict overnight so there are still around two dozen people being killed a day as Libyan government and rebel forces exchange fire around Misrata in the west and Brega/Ajdabiya in the east. The timing of the deployment of the helicopters is interesting though because it would suggest that the Qatar based news channel, Al Jazeera's decision on Tuesday (31/5/11) to release footage of British special forces on the ground in Libya was an attempt to bring forward any argument over the deployment of ground forces in order to pave the way for the use of ground attack helicopters.

Also today the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague and the International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell are making their first visit to Benghazi in an attempt to further legitimize the rebels Transitional National Council (TNC).

Elsewhere in the region the Yemeni President was yesterday (3/6/11) injured after his Presidential compound was shelled by rebel fighters. What's happening there is that the Saudis are now backing and arming Yemeni tribesmen in order to overthrow President Saleh and avoid a civil war that could cause neighbouring Saudi Arabia to disintegrate. That means that if reports of Saleh travelling the Saudi Arabia to receive medical treatment are true he is unlikely to return alive.