The manpad is a highly lethal Russian made shoulder launched surface to air missile – useful for shooting down planes and helicopters.
Before NATO decided to protect their brothers in Benghazi, LIBYA had an estimated 20,000 of these things. Most of them are believed to be in the hands of the Qaddafi forces in Tripoli, but some are believed to be in East Libya.
NATO is using recovery of these missiles as a test of the effectiveness and reliability of the new Libyan “government”. European “not boots on the ground” boots on the ground are going to see if they can find them.
The thing that makes no sense is why they haven’t been used against NATO. It feels like a trap.
The “Qadaffi will be gone in a week” thing will be over Saturday. Maybe it will take the full 10 days
Is the plural of manpad – menpads? Sounds like something you buy at the drugstore.
The word manpad made me giggle throughout the whole story. I thought maybe it was something liberal men were starting to wear. 🙂