CFR FRONT)

BS-ALERT-European mercenaries fighting for Gaddafi, expert says http://euobserver.com/9/32228

Between 300 and 500 European soldiers of fortune, including EU nationals, are working for Colonel Gaddafi in Libya, a leading criminologist has said.The European mercenaries are mostly specialists in heavy weapons, helicopter technology and tactics and command fees of several thousand US dollars a day. The majority come from Belarus, Serbia and Ukraine. There is a significant amount of Polish helicopter experts. Belgian, British, French and Greek nationals are also involved.The information comes from Michel Koutouzis, a Greek expert on organised crime, whose French-registered company, Lotophages Consulting, does research on security issues for the EU institutions, the UN and the French government, and who spent February and March travelling in north Africa.

"In Libyan society, there is a taboo against killing people from your own tribal group. This is one reason why Gaddafi needs foreign fighters," Koutouzis told this website.A contact linked to the rebel authorities, the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, told EUobserver that Algerian, Russian and Syrian serving military officers have also been helping Gaddafi.For its part, Human Rights Watch, which has three people on the front lines in Libya, cast doubt on the reports.The group's Peter Bouckaert, referred to sources in South African mercenary circles, saying "they have not heard of any Europeans, South Africans or Zimbabweans going to fight for Gaddafi ... these networks are in touch with each other, so they would have heard."

[BELIEVE ME ''I HATE TO AGREE'' WITH  ''(CFR FRONT)HUMANRIGHTSWATCH'' ON THIS ONE,I REALLY DO..BUT IF THIS WERE INDEED CASE IM SURE REBELS WOULD HAVE CAPTURED SOME EUROPEAN MERCENARIES BY NOW(NOT SAYING THEY WONT IN FUTURE EITHER)...BUT SO FAR NONE,ALSO [Michel Koutouzis, a Greek expert on organised crime, whose French-registered company, Lotophages Consulting] COULD HAVE EASILY CITED FORMER PRIVATE MERCENARIES FROM ''EXECUTIVE OUTCOMES'' WICH OPERATED THRUOUT AFRICA OVER LAST 20 YEARS TO SUBSTANCIATE THESE CLAIMS,AND IT DIDNT,SO WELL SEE..