France joins Britain in Libya fight

“Libya: France to send officers to aid rebels

A French government spokesman was quoted as saying that fewer than 10 officers would be sent.

Britain is sending a similar team to provide support to rebels in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Libya's foreign minister criticised the British plan, saying it would prolong fighting.

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to intensify air strikes in Libya, Reuters reported.

Inspired by uprisings in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, the rebels have been fighting Col Gaddafi's forces since February. The rebels, based in Benghazi, hold much of the east, while Col Gaddafi's forces remain in control of Tripoli and most of the west.

Nato is currently in charge of the no-fly zone and coalition operations have been largely confined to air attacks.

On Wednesday, Libyan state television reported that Nato aircraft were bombarding telecoms and broadcasting infrastructure in several cities.

And Maj Gen John Lorimer, a spokesman for the UK Chief of Defence Staff, said that on Tuesday, RAF Tornado and Typhoon aircraft had used precision-guided weapons to attack three tanks and a vehicle-mounted artillery piece "in and around" the besieged western city of Misrata.

French government spokesman Francois Baroin reaffirmed that France had no intention of sending a military force to Libya. "We do not envisage deploying combat ground troops," he said.

However, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said the idea of such a deployment was "a real issue" that deserved consideration by the UN Security Council.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris that in France as in Britain, there is concern about the Libyan campaign turning into an open-ended commitment as both governments push to its limits the UN resolution endorsing the protection of civilians in Libya.

The comments came as Libyan rebel Abdul Jalil met French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, where he thanked the French "for their brave decision to support the Libyan revolution".

Mr Sarkozy's office gave no details in a statement about how air strikes would be intensified. He also said the rebels had pledged to build democracy in Libya "by the ballot box, not atop a tank".

The British team, expected to number about 10, is set to provide logistics and intelligence training in Benghazi.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the officers would advise the NTC [opposition National Transitional Council] on how to "improve their military organisational structures, communications and logistics", and would not be involved in any fighting.

The move complied with a UN resolution to protect civilians in Libya, which forbids foreign occupation forces, Mr Hague said.

'Mountain towns bombarded'

UN Security Council Resolution 1973, passed in March, authorised "all necessary measures short of occupation" to protect civilians.

Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul Ati al-Obeidi said the presence of foreign military personnel would be a "step backwards".

He proposed that there should be a ceasefire followed by an interim period of maybe six months to prepare for an election which would be supervised by the UN, as proposed by the African Union roadmap.

He said countries he had visited had been supportive of a suggested ceasefire and helping the humanitarian effort, but said the UK, France and Italy were being unhelpful.

Misrata, the rebels' last stronghold in the west, has faced weeks of heavy bombardment.

Fighting was continuing on Wednesday in the centre of the city, with rebels telling Reuters that they had made some gains.

The conflict in Misrata has turned the city into a battlefield, causing hundreds of deaths. Col Gaddafi's forces have been accused of using heavy weaponry to fire indiscriminately on civilian areas.

The Libyan government says it is trying to protect the citizens of Misrata and to help international aid organisations provide aid there.

Violence was also reported in Libya's western mountains, where rebels said Col Gaddafi's forces had been shelling several towns, forcing thousands of residents to flee to Tunisia, the Associated Press news agency reported.”