Intercept
Global Research
Michel Chossudovsky

Military operations of this size and magnitude are never improvised. The war on Libya as well as the armed insurrection were planned months prior to the Arab protest movement...

Libya, 19 March 2011. "No Fly Zone" under UN Security Council Resolution 1973: A "Humanitarian War" is Launched.

We were led to believe that the protest movement in Egypt and Tunisia had spread to Libya.

The insurrection in Libya was presented as a spontaneous response to a wave of pro-democracy activism which had swept the Arab World.

In turn, we were led to believe that "the international community" decided in response to these unfolding events, to "protect the lives of civilians" and refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

The media then reported that it was only once the UN Security Council had adopted Resolution 1973, that the US and NATO member countries took the decision to intervene militarily in Libya under the "No Fly Zone"...

THE WAR ON LIBYA WAS KNOWN AND DECIDED WELL IN ADVANCE.

MILITARY PLANNING WAS IN "AN ADVANCED STAGE OF READINESS".

UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1973 PERTAINING TO LIBYA WAS ALREADY ON THE DRAWING BOARD, MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF  THE "PRO-DEMOCRACY" INSURRECTION IN EASTERN LIBYA. ...

Read carefully  ["   " indicate quotation  from "The Southern Mistral 2011" War Games, Scenario)]

On November 02 2010, more than four months prior to the onset of Operation Odyssey Dawn, France and the UK announced the conduct of war games under Operation "SOUTHERN MISTRAL 2011" against "AN IMAGINARY COUNTRY' called "SOUTHLAND", living under a "DICTATORSHIP"  which allegedly "was responsible for an attack against France's national interests".

The Franco-British (humanitarian) air operation against "SOUTHLAND" was to be carried out pursuant to an IMAGINARY "UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO: 3003".

The war games were scheduled to start on March 21, 2011. THESE FRANCO-BRITISH WAR GAMES  NEVER TOOK PLACE. OPERATION "SOUTHERN MISTRAL" WENT LIVE ON MARCH 19, 2011 (two days prior to the scheduled date).

Below is the exact quote and colors from the Franco-British war games website which is hosted by France's Air Force:

           "SOUTHLAND : Dictatorship responsible for an attack against France's national interests.

           FRANCE : Makes the decision to show its determination to SOUTHLAND (under United Nations Security council resolution n°3003).

           UNITED-KINGDOM : Allied country as determined in the bilateral agreement. The United Kingdom supports France through the deployment of its air assets." (Commandement de la défense aérienne et des opérations aériennes,  Southern Mistral 2011:  Scenario)

The war games were scheduled to take place from the 21st to the 25 March 2011.

   "Six Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s, one tanker Vickers VC-10 and one Boeing E3D will be deployed together with French Air force Mirage 2000Ds, 2000Ns and 2000Cs operating with a fleet of around thirty aircraft including helicopters, Boeing tankers and Awacs radar aircraft.

   Air Raid Southern Storm will be commanded and controlled by the National Air Operations Centre (CNOA) of Lyon Mont-Verdun air base (BA 942).

   An Air Operations Cell deployed at Nancy air base (BA 133) will follow in real time all the air missions and reproduce the air raids.

   Simultaneously, Paratrooper Commando Air 20 (CPA20) will receive its British counterpart in Dijon: the RAF Regiment. Together they will train for air base protection missions on operational theatres in compliance with what is achieved today in Afghanistan.

   Furthermore, RAF Regiment members will train in Captieux to helicopters’ air policing measures. These specific procedures are implemented on a daily basis by the Quick reaction Alert FAF air defence helicopters to intervene against “slow movers”." Welcome to Southern Mistral 11

   "An adapted scenario was developed for the exercise.

   Based on Western geography, France mostly, an imaginary country was created: SOUTHLAND. An artificial border was drawn inside France to simulate this country."

                       SOUTHLAND : Dictatorship responsible for an attack against France's national interests.

                       FRANCE : Makes the decision to show its determination to SOUTHLAND (under United Nations Security council resolution n°3003).

                       UNITED-KINGDOM : Allied country as determined in the bilateral agreement. The United Kingdom supports France through the deployment of its air assets.

                       NAVARRE : Allied country giving clearance to French and British aircraft to overfly its territory.

                       (See Commandement de la défense aérienne et des opérations aériennes, Operation Southern Mistral: Scenario)


THESE FRANCO-BRITISH WAR GAMES  NEVER TOOK PLACE. OPERATION "SOUTHERN MISTRAL" WENT LIVE ON MARCH 19, 2011 AGAINST "SOUTHLAND".

           "OPERATION SOUTHERN MISTRAL"  =  "Operation Odyssey Dawn"

           "SOUTHLAND" = "Libya"

           "Security Council Resolution 3003"   = "Security Council Resolution 1973".

           "DICTATORSHIP" = "Qadhaffi Regime"

           Under the war games scenario Security Council Resolution 3003 was proposed by France, whereas "the real life" UN Security Council Resolution 1973 was proposed by France, the UK and Lebanon.

The only difference of substance is that "SOUTHLAND" (aka Libya), the so-called imaginary Southern country for the war games was inserted inside the territory of Southern France (See Map above THE UK IS GREEN, FRANCE IS BLUE, SOUTHLAND IS RED AND NAVARRE IS ORANGE). (Navarre 'Navarra" designates a region of  Northern Spain).

The imaginary location of this imaginary Southern country called "SOUTHLAND" was not really an issue, because the war games were postponed...    

The French Air Force announced (in English) the "Suspension of exercise Southern Mistral 2011 [against SOUTHLAND]... Due to the current international events [BOMBING OF LIBYA], exercise Southern Mistral has been suspended."  Suspension of exercise Southern Mistral 2011. The French version uses the term Mise en veille which means "put on standby" (Mise en veille de l’exercice Southern Mistral 2011)

France's Mirage 2000 used in Operation Odyssey Dawn against Libya,
slated to be used in the Southern Mistral war games agains "Southland".

Royal Air Force Tornado GR4A slated to be deployed in
the Southern Mistral war games against "Southland".

What can be said regarding these war games, the attacks on Libya and United Nations Security council resolutions 3003 and 1973?....

We invite our readers to think and reflect on the logic of military planning.

Military operations of this size and magnitude are never improvised. The war on Libya as well as the armed insurrection were planned months prior to the Arab protest movement. In the words of  Rep. Denis Kucinich:

   "While war games are not uncommon, the similarities between ‘Southern Mistral’ and ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ highlight just how many unanswered questions remain regarding our own military planning for Libya.

   The ‘Southern Mistral’ war games called for Great Britain-French air strikes against an unnamed dictator of a fictional country, “Southland.” The pretend attack was authorized by a pretend United Nations Security Council Resolution. The ‘Southern Mistral’ war games were set for March 21-25, 2011.

   On March 19, 2011, the United States joined France and Great Britain in an air attack against Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

   Scheduling a joint military exercise that ends up resembling real military action could be seen as remarkable planning by the French and British, but it also highlights questions  regarding the United States’ role in planning for the war. We don’t know how long the attack on Libya has been in preparation, but Congress must find out. We don’t know who the rebels really represent and how they became armed, but Congress must find out. (Denis Kucinich, Kucinich: President Had Time to Consult with International Community, Not Congress? | Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, Press Release, March 29, 2011)