Libya vows to fight any foreign troops
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China.org.cn, April 20, 2011
The Libyan government on Tuesday firmly rebuffed a proposal by the European Union (EU), saying it would fight any foreign troops that landed on its soil, even if they were supposedly there to escort humanitarian aid convoys, according to state-run JANA news agency.
The EU has drawn up a "concept of operations" that could include sending European troops to the besieged Libyan city of Misrata to protect aid deliveries if approved by the United Nations, although U.N. officials said they want to explore civilian options first, Xinhua reported.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said yesterday that an additional military liaison advisory team will be sent to Libya.
"These additional personnel will enable the UK to build on the work already being undertaken to support and advise the National Transitional Council (NTC) on how to better protect civilians," Hague said.
"In particular they will advise the NTC on how to improve their military organisational structures, communications and logistics," Hague added.
"This deployment was fully within the terms of UNSCR 1973 both in respect of civilian protection and its provision expressly ruling out a foreign occupation force on Libyan soil," Hague said.
Libya's foreign minister told BBC that a British plan to send a military team to advise rebels fighting Col Gaddafi would harm chances of peace in the country.
A UK military presence in rebel-held Benghazi would "prolong" fighting, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi told the BBC.
