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France parachutes weapons to Libyan rebels
The "Rebels" then pass the weapons on to AQIM who are rapidly becoming the most powerful army in North Africa, thanks to NATO.FRANCE began parachuting weapons to resupply Libyan rebels in the mountains south of the capital, Tripoli, last month, a French military spokesman confirmed yesterday. Citing secret government documents, Le Figaro newspaper reported earlier that the shipments included rocket launchers, assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank missiles. The secret desert air drops were carried out without consultation with NATO allies, including Britain, which is France's principal partner in the international campaign against Moamar Ghadafi's regime, the report said. Colonel Thierry Burkhard, spokesman for the French general staff, confirmed the arms drops, but said they were essentially light arms such as assault rifles for self-defense purposes, AFP reported. Burkhard said France had become aware in early June that rebel-held Berber villages in the tribal Djebel Nafusa highland region south of the capital had come under pressure from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. "We began by dropping humanitarian aid: food, water and medical supplies," he said. "During the operation, the situation for the civilians on the ground worsened. We dropped arms and means of self-defense, mainly ammunition." Burkhard described the arms as "light infantry weapons of the rifle type" and said the drops were carried out over several days "so that civilians would not be massacred." According to Le Figaro's report, the French government was looking for a way of breaking the stalemate in the conflict. "There was no other way of going forward," a senior intelligence source said. Posted by: tipper 2011-06-29 |
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