Obama authorizes secret support for Libya rebels, media says
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China.org.cn, March 31, 2011
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations to help rebels in Libya, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
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"I will reiterate what the President said yesterday – no decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any group in Libya. We're not ruling it out or ruling it in. We’re assessing and reviewing options for all types of assistance that we could provide to the Libyan people, and have consulted directly with the opposition and our international partners about these matters," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
Government sources said Obama signed the order, known as the presidential "finding", within the last two or three weeks, reported Reuters.
Obama told the ABC the U.S. did not rule out sending arms to Libyan rebels. "it's fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons -- into -- Libya, we probably could. We're looking at all our options at this point, " the President said.
When asked by ABC when U.S. will send ammunition to Libyan rebels in Libya, Obama answered, "I'm not going to talk about...operations like that, at that level."
Obama on Monday delivered a major speech defending U.S. involvement in the Liyban military operation, arguing that the U.S. intervention has prevented civilians from being killed by the Libyan government forces.
