Originally Posted By M-A-X

Were just helping the people of Libya gain their freedom by themself and protecting the population from Kadafi's army. No troops will be send, no occupation. When Kadafi's ass will be kicked once and for all, only the people of Libya will decide what they want as a nation.

In 1976 after a series of terror attacks by the Provisional I.R.A., Gaddafi announced that "the bombs which are convulsing Britain and breaking its spirit are the bombs of Libyan people. We have sent them to the Irish revolutionaries so that the British will pay the price for their past deeds".

1972: The weapons shipments from Libya began in 1972 with two cargoes containing an estimated 500 rifles, 500 pistols, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, an unknown amount of gelignite and TNT and assorted grenades, anti-tank mines, fuses and other equipment.

1973: A third shipment on board the 300-ton MV Claudia was intercepted off Helvick Head, Co Waterford, in March. On board the Naval Service found 250 rifles, 246 bayonets, 243 pistols, 850 magazines, 100 anti-tank mines, 500 grenades, gelignite, TNT, primers, electric fuses and 20,000 rounds of ammunition.

1977-78: A further seven tons of weapons, including an unknown number of RPG7 rocket-launchers, rifles, explosives, handguns and ammunition, reached the IRA from Libya. The route is unknown, but experts speculate it involved Islamic groups like the PLO.

1984: The Fenit, Co Kerry-based trawler, the Marita Ann, was intercepted by the Naval Service near the Skelligs, off the Kerry coast. There were seven tons of arms on board, including a .5 Browning machinegun, 300 rifles and 50,000 rounds of ammunition. These weapons had come from an organised crime gang in Boston.

1985: In August the 65ft fishing boat, the Casamara, delivered the first of three shipments of weapons from Libya, vessel looking for drug-traffickers in the Bay of Biscay. The largest shipment ever intercepted, it included 1,000 AK47 rifles, 10 DMZK .5 anti-aircraft machineguns, one million rounds of ammunition and one million mortar shells. again a present from Col Gadaffi. This first 10-ton shipment included 50 boxes containing rifles, pistols and rocket-launchers. In October the Casamara, skippered by the former Bray Travel director, Adrian Hopkins, delivered another 10 to 14 tons of weapons, including several 12.70 light machineguns.

1986: In April between 14 and 20 tons of weapons, including Semtex and at least two surface-to-air missiles, arrived. A larger vessel, the Villa, was used to deliver between 80 and 90 tons of weapons, including at least seven RPG rocket launchers, 10 SAM missiles and a large quantity of Semtex. A shipment of 17 rifles, two handguns, grenades, 70,000 rounds of ammunition and four drums of the chemical nitrobenzene (used for manufacturing explosives) was discovered in Amsterdam.

1987: In October some 150 tons of weaponry on board the Eksund was intercepted by a French naval fast-patrol, in the Bay of Biscay. The Eksund contained 150 tons of weapons including 1,000 AK47 rifles, 10 DMZK .5 antiaircraft machine guns, one million rounds of ammunition and one million mortar shells The weapons arrived in four shipments on two ships skippered by the former Bray Travel owner, Adrian Hopkins.