British officers being put into Libya to advise rebel fighters

British Army officers are being sent to Libya to advise rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.

The UK group will be deployed to the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, Libya’s second city, in a mentoring role to help leaders co-ordinating attacks on the dictator’s army.

The announcement came after a Royal Navy submarine launched cruise missiles on Libyan targets, with RAF warplanes attacking communication masts.

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The handful of experienced officers will join a British team in Benghazi working with the opposition National Transitional Council (NTC).

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Army officers would help to prevent attacks on civilians, in line with the United Nations Security Council resolution authorising military action against Col Gaddafi’s forces.

He said: “These additional personnel will enable the UK to build on the work already being undertaken to support and advise the NTC on how to better protect civilians.

“In particular they will advise the NTC on how to improve their military organisational structures, communications and logistics, including how best to distribute humanitarian aid and deliver medical assistance.”

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He added: “Our officers will not be involved in training or arming the opposition’s fighting forces.

“Nor will they be involved in the planning or execution of the NTC’s military operations or in the provision of any other form of operational military advice.”

Britain has supplied rebels with body armour and telecommunications equipment and the Government yesterday pledged £2m to help thousands of stranded civilians to flee war-torn Misrata by boat.

Mr Hague again ruled out a ground invasion to unseat Col Gaddafi, but admitted further SAS raids were possible for specific missions.

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Prime Minister David Cameron last week faced demands to recall Parliament so MPs could debate the crisis but Mr Hague said yesterday the Government had been given overwhelming support by Parliament for its actions and its policy remained the same to implement the UN resolution.

“Of course developments change on the ground and what we have to do in order to implement the resolution does change,” he said.

Labour MP David Winnick criticised the deployment, saying: “There is a danger of mission creep. This is a big escalation of Britain’s involvement.”

Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell warned: “Sending advisers for a limited purpose is probably within the terms of resolution 1973, but it must not be seen as a first instalment of further military deployment. Vietnam began with an American president sending military advisers. We must proceed with caution.”

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British warplanes have mounted further attacks on Libyan government forces which had been firing on the besieged city of Misrata. Nuclear-powered submarine HMS Triumph also fired Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The European Union said yesterday it was ready to send an armed force to Libya to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid amid concern about the worsening plight of people affected by the fighting, particularly in Misrata.

The EU has no standing army, and the personnel and equipment would have be donated by member countries.

But French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was “totally hostile to the deployment of troops on the ground”.

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Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim warned “if there is any deployment of any armed personnel on Libyan ground, there will be fighting, and the Libyan government will not take this as a humanitarian mission” but as a military one.