Britain sending military officers to advise Libyan opposition

The British government has said that it will send military officers to Libya to help rebel forces seeking to topple Moammar Gaddafi.

William Hague, the UK Foreign Secretary, said the officers will be deployed in Benghazi, the unofficial capital of the Libyan opposition movement, but emphasized they will not be involved in combat.

BBC reported that the group comprises ten British officers who will provide training in logistics and intelligence training, in tandem with a similar joint French operation.

The [UK] National Security Council has decided that we will now move quickly to expand the team already in Benghazi to include an additional military liaison advisory team,” Hague said.

This contingent will be drawn from experienced British military officers.

This action may raise some thorny issues with the United Nations and NATO. The UN Security Council resolution on Libya specifically excluded sending foreign military forces on the ground in the country.

Already, the foreign minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, has accused some western countries of violating the UN resolution by seeking to remove Gaddafi from power.

Meanwhile, forces loyal to Gaddafi continue to bombard the rebel-held town of Misrata in the western part if Libya. According to reports, hundreds of people may have been killed by shelling and many more wounded.