Libyan foreign minister defects while Obama authorises covert action
31 Mar 2011, 9:22 AM
US President Barack Obama has authorised the use of covert US support for the Libyan rebels, as forces loyal to President Muammar Gaddafi pushed the poorly-disciplined rebels out of several recently-taken towns.
His signature has been widely reported as the first stage of authorising the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to arm the rebels, however neither the CIA or the US State Department would confirm the decision.
Obama never ruled out providing direct assistance, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed support for arming the rebels.
“It’s fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could. We’re looking at all our options at this point,” Obama told US media.
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