Egypt Sends Covert Weapons To Libyan Rebels

U.S. and Libyan rebel officials

that Egypt has begun arming the Libyan rebels with assault rifles and ammunition. The rebel fighters have been losing ground to Gadhafi loyalists for days. "Weapons are getting through," said Mr. Souflakis, a Libyan business man in Cairo acting as a rebel liaison. "Americans have given the green light to the Egyptians to help. The Americans don't want to be involved in a direct level, but the Egyptians wouldn't do it if they didn't get the green light." However, Egypt's official stance is neutral, as they have hundreds of thousands of laborers still in Libya. Unfortunately, the weapons may not be enough to turn the tables for the rebel fighters. This move by Egypt is a strong indication that some Arab countries are willing to take part in efforts to intervene against Gadhafi. The Arab states also called for foreign military intervention and an imposed no-fly-zone over Libya. Western countries have shown frustration over the unwillingness of the Arab countries to intervene in crises in their own region, so these moves are a large step for this region. The vote to impose the no-fly-zone gave Western powers political cover to intervene militarily at will.