Who is arming the rebels in libya

Interviews by U. Obama said the U. Related Coverage. In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted to reporters that no decision had yet been taken. While U. People familiar with U. In Obama gave a similar authorization for the expansion of covert U. The White House does not normally confirm such orders have been issued. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites.

France and Russia have held a high level diplomatic meeting after the French army admitted it was secretly arming Libyan rebels, a move Moscow says violates current UN Resolutions. After helping rebel forces advance their positions in Libya, France has had to fend off criticism from Russia. Is the arms drop legal? Russian officials called into question the legality of the action under a current UN-approved mandate for Western intervention in the oil-rich North African country.

Juppe met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday and admitted there were disagreements between the two countries. Juppe also insisted that the air dropping of arms and ammunition fell in line with the mission to defend rebels and protect civilians. It has also been reported that this is someting contemplated by France.

According to Le Figaro, which said it had seen a secret intelligence memo and talked to well-placed officials, the drops were designed to help rebel fighters encircle Tripoli and encourage a popular revolt in the city itself.

That would in turn depend on whether taking Tripoli and ejecting Gaddafi is regarded as necessary for civilian protection. My post addresses the legality of providing aid to the civilians struggling against the Qadafi regime for another angle. So long states provide support to the groups or people struggling to self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter, such states will comply with international law.

Under the Definition of Aggression, and the Friendly Relations Resolution, states have an obligation to support self-determination movements in accordance with the purposes of the UN Charter, such as equality, respect of human rights, and self-determination.

There is no question that Qadafi is a dictator who has denied to most of the population in Libya its right to fair representation in government for decades.

As such, the people of Libya, turned rebels, or Qadafi opponents, who may be civilians not participating in the armed fighting, are essentially struggling for the internal aspect of self-determination, their political and social rights, through peaceful or armed resistance.

As such, the exception to the embargo resolution, in a sense recognizes that states may provide assistance to the people struggling for self-determination, so long this is done in accordance with the UN Charter.