How ex-Irish soldiers are training a rogue Libyan militia

This episode was originally published in April 2024.

In Libya, former members of the Irish Defence Forces, including men who served in the elite Army Rangers Wing have been providing training for a militia headed up Libyan strongman, Khalifa Haftar.

It’s a lucrative business for the company called Irish Training Solutions but the work is an apparent breach of a United Nations arms embargo imposed on the volatile African country.

Naomi O’Leary broke the story in the Irish Times on Wednesday and the official response was swift. Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin called the revelations “deeply shocking”, saying that they cause “reputational damage to Ireland and our Defence Forces”.

O’Leary tells In the News about the sort of military training being provided by these former Irish soldiers, who is behind Irish Training Solutions, how much money is involved and, with providing military training in Libya specifically prohibited by the UN, what it means for the reputation of the Irish Defence Forces.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon.

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