U.S., Britain Weigh Arming Libyan Rebels

The U.S. and Britain are weighing sending weapons to Libyan rebels, a step that may cause another rift inside the coalition imposing the no-fly zone. U.S. Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton hinted during a visit to Britain that it would permissible to arm the rebels under the United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing the no-fly zone. That view was echoed by U.S. President Barack Obama in his address to the nation on Tuesday night when he said he didn’t rule out arming the rebels but also "not ruling it in." British Foreign Secretary William Hague has also declined to rule out the possibility. But Alain Juppe, France’s foreign minister, warned that arming the opposition wasn’t a part of the UN resolution. Inside the Obama administration a fierce debate waged over the issue, senior officials told The New York Times on Tuesday. The first week of the air strikes has reportedly cost US taxpayers $600 million. Meantime, both France and Britain have dispatched officials to Benghazi to make what are believed to be the first known contact with opposition leaders.