Gadaffi convoy = SA mercenaries?

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Palimino

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No link. I just heard of this. Gadaffi had the money to hire the best. The best = SA mercenaries. One group took his family to safety. They got through. The other group were subjected to airstrikes from NATO. Not much they could do, heavy weaponry attracts attention and slows-down a fast, anonymous convoy.

I was slightly disappointed that SA mercenaries would get involved with a sleazebag like Gadaffi. I was naive. Mercenaries fight for money. Gadaffi had lots of money.
 
Palimino said:
No link. I just heard of this. Gadaffi had the money to hire the best. The best = SA mercenaries. One group took his family to safety. They got through. The other group were subjected to airstrikes from NATO. Not much they could do, heavy weaponry attracts attention and slows-down a fast, anonymous convoy.

I was slightly disappointed that SA mercenaries would get involved with a sleazebag like Gadaffi. I was naive. Mercenaries fight for money. Gadaffi HAD lots of money.
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FTFY ;)
 
You disappointed in mercenaries ?

LOL

That's like questioning the loyalty of a hooker.

Mercenaries are paid solders, they fight for money, they don't support a side for moral reasons they support the side that pays them.
 
Palimino said:
Mercenaries fight for money. Gadaffi had lots of money.
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It must have been tempting. Even if you weren’t partial to a high-risk mercenary lifestyle, the pay would have been excellent! About 30 troops? All ex special forces at the top of their career? A $million for each troop (he could afford it)? Pay off the house, get 1st rate insurance and medical care and buy those expensive but effective Kevlar vests? For a 12 hour body guarding job? In a fast-moving convoy? They would go like a hot knife through butter when facing any number of ground troops. No defence against death from above though (NATO). Worth the gamble. They lost.
 
Palimino said:
No link. I just heard of this. Gadaffi had the money to hire the best. The best = SA mercenaries. One group took his family to safety. They got through. The other group were subjected to airstrikes from NATO. Not much they could do, heavy weaponry attracts attention and slows-down a fast, anonymous convoy.

I was slightly disappointed that SA mercenaries would get involved with a sleazebag like Gadaffi. I was naive. Mercenaries fight for money. Gadaffi had lots of money.
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Obviously not good enough - he's dead. They scattered when the **** hit the fan...

SA government plans on leaving them there for getting up to no good :p
 
xrapidx said:
Obviously not good enough - he's dead. They scattered when the **** hit the fan...
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You say it like it’s a bad thing. What were they supposed to do? The entire operation relied on stealth and anonymity. Once the NATO jets started killing their buddies and blasting their cars off the road, the game was up. Should the survivors have formed a human shield around Gadaffi and fired at the jet aircraft with handguns? Of course they scattered. It requires being alive to spend payment (which they weren’t going to get). They had nothing and you are suggesting they should have nobly died to fulfil their contract?

SA government plans on leaving them there for getting up to no good.
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They were never relying on the SA government to stir themselves and get their finger out their arse anyway. They DON’T want interference from the SA government (they would go to prison in any event). Mercenaries don’t go whimpering to their governments when things go wrong. They usually hold duel nationality as well (and any number of passports).
 
Apparently they have been hung out to dry and for only about R125000 each! Soldiers of ill fortune, it would seem.
 
Just because they got caught does not mean that they were bad soldiers I rate.
 
The_Mowgs said:
No no no my friend, it was R5m each.
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So **that’s** why the SA power elite are pissed-off. They are the only ones allowed to earn in that bracket. The difference is that they do it without risking their carcass and by doing nothing.

It’s envy.
 
The_Mowgs said:
No no no my friend, it was R5m each.
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So **that’s** why the SA power elite are pissed-off. They are the only ones allowed to earn in that bracket. The difference is that they do it without risking their carcass and by doing nothing.

It’s envy.
 
South African mercenaries are very much sought after all over the world. If you were trained in the "old" army/police force you'll get a "job" no questions asked :D Even if you are not "fit for combat" you still can make money as "field advisor". Experience counts. Executive Outcome & related "security" companies, come to mind. A nr of buddies which run away because of Affirmative Action, have returned as millionaires. However not all! Indeed, some will never return. Just make sure your life cover uses the "correct words" before you go. A win situation either way for your dear ones. Stupid thing to do if you ask me though. Better take a kick in the butt from AA then a kick in the head from a .50BMG :D
 
intel8080 said:
South African mercenaries are very much sought after all over the world. If you were trained in the "old" army/police force you'll get a "job" no questions asked :D
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I am wondering what will happen when the ‘old’ guard get too aged. There are no fit, young candidates any longer. Only AIDS riddled, badly trained and thieving SANDF or SAPS. The youngest of the ‘old’ guard must be in their 30’s. The clock is ticking.
 
Palimino said:
I am wondering what will happen when the ‘old’ guard get too aged. There are no fit, young candidates any longer. Only AIDS riddled, badly trained and thieving SANDF or SAPS. The youngest of the ‘old’ guard must be in their 30’s. The clock is ticking.
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In our forties actually................
 
I highly doubt they were paid R5m each. I don't know where that figure comes from but it may be the value of the entire contract to the PMC. The per diem for the operators would have been in the region of $600-$1200 a day at most. And that buys a primo tier-1 PSD.
 
fewl said:
I highly doubt they were paid R5m each. I don't know where that figure comes from but it may be the value of the entire contract to the PMC. The per diem for the operators would have been in the region of $600-$1200 a day at most. And that buys a primo tier-1 PSD.
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It seems plausible. This wasn’t a routine assignment. Gadaffi valued his carcass highly and had plenty of money to pay for undivided attention. R5m each would have been nothing to him.
 
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