Thursday, March 31, 2011

UK has not ruled out arming Libyan Rebels

David Cameron says UK has not ruled out arming Libyans and providing arms to rebels in Libya, but has not yet taken the decision to do so, Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons.

His comment to MPs came as opposition forces appeared to be on the back foot in their struggle with the far better-equipped troops of dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Representatives of the opposition Interim National Council, who met Mr Cameron in Downing Street yesterday, have appealed for foreign help with arms, including permission to use frozen Libyan assets and proceeds from oil sales to buy weapons.

Asked at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons whether Britain was considering supplying arms to the rebels, Mr Cameron said that United Nations resolutions ''would not necessarily rule out the provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances''.

And he added: ''We do not rule it out but we have not taken the decision to do so.''

Mr Cameron revealed that coalition forces had "taken action yesterday against regime forces harassing civilian vessels trying to get into Misrata", the rebel-held town in the west of Libya which has been under siege from Gaddafi's troops for several days.

The big question, what is the next situation going to be like in Libya

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