France said yesterday it had sent military advisers to Libya’s rebel Transitional National Council (TNC) in their Benghazi stronghold, the day after key ally Britain announced a similar measure.
“France has placed a small number of liaison officers alongside our special envoy to Benghazi, who are carrying out a liaison mission with the TNC,” French foreign ministry spokeswoman Christine Fage told reporters.
“The precise objective is to give the TNC essentially technical, logistical and organizational advice to reinforce the protection of civilians and to improve the distribution of humanitarian and medical aid,” she said.
Photo: Reuters
The announcement came the day after France’s main ally in the drive to help rebels defeat Muammar Qaddafi’s forces, Britain, said it would send advisers to help organize the stalled rebellion, amid heavy civilian casualties.
However, Western powers have strongly denied they are preparing to break their taboo against putting combat troops on the battlefield to bolster the revolt.
“Fewer than 10” officers are involved, French government spokesman Francois Baroin said following a Cabinet meeting, repeating France’s position that: “We are not envisaging troops on the ground, in any shape or form.”
Baroin also said France was not seeking a new UN Security Council action that would give the allies a broader mandate to intervene in Libya.
“We are not taking the initiative to seek a new Security Council resolution. The French position is stable and unchanged on this problem of applying Resolution 1973,” he said.
The resolution permitted the use of force to protect Libyan civilians, but explicitly forbade a “foreign occupation force” — a phrase which some states interpret as banning any ground intervention at all.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague insisted on Tuesday that adding around 12 military advisers to the diplomatic team in Benghazi did not breach the UN resolution authorizing air strikes against Qaddafi forces.
Hague said the British advisers would not arm or train the rebels, but would help them develop organizational structures, communications and logistics and coordinating humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
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