Non-Lethal Aid: Libyan rebels to get uniforms

President Barack Obama has ruled out putting boots on the ground in Libya.

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said on Friday it has shipped Libyan rebels military food rations and will soon provide them with other forms of non-lethal aid including uniforms, tents and protective vests. The United States and Nato allies including Britain and France are conducting air strikes that aim to stop Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from using military force against civilians. But nearly two months after Nato took command of the mission, the conflict has reached a stalemate as rebel attempts to advance on Tripoli have stalled. President Barack Obama, wary of being dragged more deeply into the conflict, has ruled out putting boots on the ground in Libya and instead hopes the combination of military and political pressure forces Qaddafi out.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2011.