Libya: Nato bombing of Gaddafi forces 'relying on information from rebels'

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Source: The Guardian

Nato's bombing campaign against the Libyan regime is relying strongly on information supplied by rebel leaders in Benghazi with advice from a growing numbers of British officers, according to a senior European diplomat.

Nato denies the rebel military has any target-spotters on the ground to direct the air strikes against Gaddafi. But the diplomat, familiar with the situation in Benghazi, said the main function of the rebels' military leadership committee, the joint operations centre (JOC), was to help the Nato campaign.

"The JOC is just below the military council," said the diplomat. "Its main job is to co-ordinate and make more effective the processing of military and tactical information back into Nato so air operations are based on the best information available."

The UK mission in Benghazi, inaugurated last month by Christopher Prentice, a former ambassador to Iraq and Jordan and currently the British envoy in Rome, started with a staff of six. This has expanded to around 40, most of them military officers advising the rebel leadership.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/18/libya-nato-bombing-benghazi-rebel-leaders