Libya

France: We Armed Libyan Rebels

First NATO country to admit to sending weapons.

Becoming the first NATO nation to admit to directly arming Libya’s rebels, a French military spokesman on Wednesday admitted to sending “assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades and launchers” to anti-Gaddafi forces. In May, the United Nations requested a “humanitarian pause” so they could deliver relief items to civilians in Misurata. A French military spokesman said that in addition to airdropping food and medical supplies, “troops also airdropped arms and ammunition several times.” The timing of the weapons drops roughly coincides with the rebels suddenly taking control of Nafusah Mountains, and could be perhaps explain their successes since.