Britain considers arming retreating rebels

Prime Minister David Cameron stressed that no decision had yet been taken to supply weapons to the forces involved in the uprising against the dictator’s 42-year rule.

But his comments in the House of Commons yesterday appear to reflect growing international concern that, even with the benefit of allied air strikes and a no-fly zone which have crippled Gaddafi’s air power, the opposition may be outgunned by the regime’s better equipped and trained ground forces.

The development came as Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that five diplomats from the Libyan Embassy in London had been expelled from the UK because they “could pose a threat” to national security.

Downing Street said the five individuals had “a very strong allegiance to the Gaddafi regime” and were known to have been “putting pressure on Libyan opposition and student groups in the UK”.

Last month’s United Nations Security Council resolution 1970 imposed a blanket arms embargo which, until now, has been taken to apply to both the Gaddafi regime and the opposition.

But asked at Prime Minister’s Questions whether he was considering supplying weapons to the rebels, Mr Cameron said subsequent resolution 1973 “would not necessarily rule out the provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances”.

He added: “We do not rule it out but we have not taken the decision to do so.”

Downing Street insisted Mr Cameron “has not changed his mind” on the issue but his comments appeared to represent an about-turn since March 18, when he told MPs shortly after the passage of 1973: “The resolution is clear: there is an arms embargo, and that arms embargo has to be enforced across Libya.

“The legal advice that others have mentioned, and that we believe some other countries were interested in, suggesting that perhaps this applied only to the regime, is not in fact correct.”

Foreign Secretary William Hague later told MPs that the UN resolution did not rule out the “provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances” but added that it was “not about weapons that would primarily be used for attack and certainly not about the general arming of one side in this conflict”.

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

But Tory MP Rory Stewart, who served as a senior diplomat in Iraq, warned of undermining support from the coalition of more than 40 nations which attended Tuesday’s Libya Conference in London.

He said: “This (resolution) was not intended for the arming of rebels and we’ve really got to keep to the spirit of the law and not try to be clever with the legal language.”

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell urged Mr Cameron to “display extreme caution” over arming rebels, as “the political consequence of doing so” would be “very difficult to predict”.

The Prime Minister said it was “absolutely right to be cautious and sceptical” and promised he would listen to arguments against supplying weapons. But he said he had been “reassured” at his meeting with INC members they were “democrats” and not “tribal”.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander suggested the UK should “proceed with very real caution on the question of armaments”, given its lack of knowledge about some elements of the rebel forces.

RAF warplanes have now flown around 160 missions over Libya.

Troops retake strategic town

Troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi recaptured a strategic oil town yesterday as they continued to beat back a rebel advance toward the capital Tripoli.

Rebels have few weapons more powerful than rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns and are no match for Gaddafi’s tanks and longer-range heavy weapons.

The disparity was obvious as government forces pushed back rebels who had been closing in on the strategic city of Sirte, Gaddafi’s hometown and a bastion of support.

Under heavy shelling, rebels retreated from Bin Jawwad on Tuesday and from the oil port of Ras Lanouf yesterday.

Gaddafi’s forces were also shelling another oil port to the east, Brega, and some rebels were retreating farther still.