Western leaders consider arming Libyan rebels

(CNN) -- European and American leaders weighed the pros and cons of arming Libya's rebels Wednesday -- a possibility made more urgent by a series of new military setbacks for forces seeking to topple strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

Government forces have been pushing from Bin Jawad to Ras Lanuf, a critical eastern oil town that the opposition seized on Sunday. Gadhafi's military has also launched escalated strikes in the western town of Misrata.

The new offensive was launched in the wake of an international arms embargo and airstrike campaign designed to establish a no-fly zone and provide humanitarian relief for civilians threatened by the Libyan military.

British Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council mandate "allows all necessary measures to protect civilians and populated areas (and) this would not necessarily rule out provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances."

"As I've said before, we do not rule it out but we have not taken the decision to do so," he said.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/g0vQC991_cs/index.html

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