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Africa North
France, Italy step up efforts for Libyan rebels
2011-04-20
Full article is Aaay-Peee so just highlights here. If you read the original you'll see just how many people can't be named or choose to remain anonymous.
PARIS -- France vowed Wednesday to step up airstrikes on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces and acknowledged that it has military officers already working with Libyan rebels on the ground.

Italy joined Britain in announcing their commitment of military instructors to train the rebels.
Italy joining the effort for trainers in Benghazi is more than I thought they would do, but I'm not surprised that the French and British are stepping up.
European powers and the Libyan opposition remained firm against sending foreign ground troops into Libya, a dangerous and politically risky step. However NATO, which is leading the U.N.-sanctioned international military operation to protect civilians, is now acknowledging that airstrikes alone cannot stop the heavy shelling of cities by Gadhafi's forces.

"France has placed a small number of liaison officers alongside our special envoy in (the rebel stronghold) Benghazi," French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages said in an online briefing Wednesday.

A French diplomat said the French officers are not combat troops and are not teaching Libyan rebels weapons skills. Instead, he said, they are working on logistics and organizational help. France sent a diplomatic envoy to Benghazi earlier this month. French government spokesman Francois Baroin suggested less than 10 officers were involved and insisted the move conforms to the U.N. resolution authorizing the international military campaign in Libya.
Like hell they aren't training the rebels. Logistics alone won't get the rebels to stand their ground under an artillery bombardment.
France has championed the international campaign in Libya. President Nicolas Sarkozy met Wednesday with visiting Libyan opposition leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, who said he asked France "to intensify the support accorded to the Libyan revolution."

"We will intensify the strikes," Sarkozy responded, according to a presidential aide.

"We will help you," Sarkozy promised his Libyan visitor.

A NATO official said there had been no pressure from France to increase allied strikes, but that France might increase its own contribution. The official was not authorized to be publicly named.

In Rome, Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said 10 military instructors will be going to Libya to help the rebels, but again ruled out sending Italian ground troops. La Russa spoke after meeting with British Defense Secretary Liam Fox, who said many of the Libyan rebels "have no military experience, they have little understanding of weaponry or military tactics."

"The best way in which we can assist them is to give them some technical capabilities in how to organize themselves," Fox said.

The British minister said the situation was "not that different from what's happening in Afghanistan, where we've decided that training up security forces so that the Afghans themselves can look after their security is the best way forward."
Notice that in Afghanistan we have 150,000 people 'training up security forces'. And killing Taliban. But mostly killing Taliban. The same thing could easily happen in Libya, at least until Gaddafi's mercs get tired of being killed.
Britain said Tuesday it was sending up to 20 military advisers to help Libya's rebel forces.

A spokesman for Libya's National Transitional Council, the political wing of the rebel movement, said Wednesday the military advisers would be a big help.

"My understanding is that it will all be administrative help, nothing with weapons and nothing in the field," Mustafa Gheirani said.
That comes next.
The rebels have repeatedly said they do not want foreign troops on the ground.
That comes when the rebels are facing imminent defeat.
French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet suggested the U.N. Security Council should weigh whether to send ground troops. "It's a real question that merits international reflection," he said after a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.
Posted by:Steve White

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