On The NYT: The Smugglers Who Helped Keep Misurata Alive

Sunday, May 22 2011

On The NYT: The Smugglers Who Helped Keep Misurata Alive

The NYT has just published the story covering the fleet of fishing vessels and tugs that since March has been quietly slipping into and out of Misurata, Libya, ferrying supplies. What you think of gun-running likely depends on how badly you think you need guns. To the people of Misurata, the hastily assembled fleet has been a savior. Its crews have shuttled not just weapons and ammunition, but all manner of supplies — baby formula, antibacterial surgical robes, bottled water and the sorts of medicines that can be woefully hard to acquire in a siege, such as chemotherapy drugs for patients whose treatment was suspended by the onset of war.

I covered two vessels in particular, and most of all Al Iradah 6, shown above and again, below, soon after it pulled into Misurata’s harbor, packed with supplies. Most of its cargo was food or medical supplies. Weapons and ammunition made up a small part of what came ashore.

The rebels moved swiftly to get the cargo off the dock, so the tug could reverse its passage, across the Gulf of Surt, back to Benghazi, the rebel capital. By nightfall, below, the cargo was almost all on the pier.

Al Iradah 6 was almost spotless. She’s a new tug — manufactured in Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands for final assembly in Misurata. She hit the water only in 2009. She has new everything — Foruno electronics, dual Caterpillar diesels, modern fire-fighting equipment, EPIRBs and survival rafts. Smuggling is not often like this. Below is a glimpse at one of the big Cats, below decks.

The journey back to Benghazi took roughly 24 hours, but the seas could not have been calmer. This crew member prayed on the vessel as she passed smoothly over the blue.

Later, the ship passed an Amphibious Ready Group and its flagship, which I took to be the USS Bataan, an LHD. If you look to the haze to the frame’s right, you’ll see other ships from the group. This is likely the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Gator squares. Gator squares. Once, a couple of decades ago, I knew them too well. Little is more tedious for grunts than life aboard ship; how bored those Marines must be.

If you look more closely, below, you can see the Ospreys and Harriers on the flight deck. Ospreys forward, Harriers aft.

The ships did not identify themselves to Al Iradah 6’s crew. The radio traffic was simply between Al Iradah 6 and “NATO warship.” This moniker was used by each warship that looked in on the tug as it passed through the NATO blockade. It did send over a helicopter to confirm the vessel’s I.D. The crew appreciated being checked, as you can see, below, as the helicopter made a pass.

The rebel flag may not be recognized by the world, but it was good out here. The rebels’ sealift, a lifeline to Misurata, takes place with NATO’s approval and support.

Back in Benhgazi, for crew rest, where that flag flies everywhere.

NOTE: Space limits in the NYT cut into what I could fit into this article. I have more to say, particularly about weapon prices in Libya and what it costs to outfit the rebels for their fight. I’ll post some of that soon on the At War blog.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Bryan Denton (@bdentonphoto) had left a few days ahead of me, so the good pics never had a chance at being made. Those here are by the author. See more, and one of Bryan’s, on the NYT.