An
unnamed rebel source related how he had undergone training
in military techniques at a "secret facility"
in eastern Libya.
Despite the withdrawal from the air, some accounts describe
a growing US presence on the ground. In the east, which
is largely free from the regime's control, one rebel fighter
said he and his comrades have received specialized training
from US and Egyptian forces, although the US has denied
that claim.
More training in weapons use and tactics would be useful
to the largely disorganised and untrained fighters, the
majority of whom have never had any military experience.
The
US Defence Department has denied the claim and said special
forces are not training the Libyan rebels there or anywhere
else.
On
Sunday, Libya's rebels also admitted that a NATO air strike
near Brega that killed at least 13 opposition fighters on
Friday had been caused by a rebel firing an anti-aircraft
gun into the sky during a NATO sortie in the area. The man
had apparently been firing in celebration, since opposition
forces had advanced into Brega, and a rebel spokesman apologised
for the incident.
The aircrafts of the coalition have very difficult to identify
the targets, because in fact the same vehicles are used
by the forces of Kadhafi and the Libyan rebels.
The Libyan rebels do not have military training and cannot
communicate with the coalition during the air strikes. |
