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Hillary Clinton believes arming Libya rebels ‘possible’

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Summary of story from the Independent, March 30, 2011

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has said she believed that UN resolutions allowed for the “legitimate transfer of arms” to the rebels should any country wish to do so.

This statement has paved the way to arming rebel groups in Libya as leaders from nearly 40 countries met in London to discuss the next moves against Colonel Gaddafi’s regime.

She added that no decision had been made “at this time” by the US on arming the rebels.

Such a move by the international community will delight Libyan opposition leaders who were also in London yesterday to press Western governments to provide arms.

Libya was under an earlier United Nations-mandated arms embargo.

It also highlights a fear among coalition partners that unless the rebels get outside arms they may be unable to overthrow the Gaddafi regime, which still has strong support in the capital, Tripoli.

British sources said weapons supplied to opposition groups would, under the UN resolution, have to be used to “protect civilians”.

They did not, however, suggest how this could be verified.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabr al-Thani said: “We have to find a way to stop this bloodshed.”

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