Wired
For nearly two weeks, the U.S. military has insisted it’s had no contacts with the Libyan rebels. Turns out we reporters weren’t focusing on the right agency.
In a monster scoop, Reuters’ Mark Hosenball reports that President Obama issued a secret order authorizing unspecified covert “support” for the opposition to Moammar Gadhafi. Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt of the New York Times add that for “several weeks,” CIA operatives have been on the ground in Libya, contacting the rebels and gathering targeting information for the air war....[Full Article]
CIA Operatives Gathering Intelligence In Libya
NPR
The CIA has sent small, covert teams into rebel-held eastern Libya while the White House debates whether to arm the opposition, NPR has confirmed.
The operatives are in Libya to gather intelligence to help direct NATO airstrikes and to help train inexperienced rebel fighters.
"The CIA team is there to train them how to shoot, how to fight, how to have military discipline," NPR's Deborah Amos reported from Cairo. "They are joining a team of former Libyan military officers who are now training about 30,000 young Libyans in the rebel stronghold to also improve discipline, improve communications and make it into a more coherent fighting force."
The move was authorized after President Obama signed what's called a "finding," a legal step necessary before the CIA can carry out secret operations, NPR's Tom Bowman reported. The White House has refused to comment on the reports...[Full Article]
Related articles...
Libya: Barack Obama 'signed order for CIA to help rebels' [UK Telegraph]
Obama signs secret order giving the CIA the green light to give covert support to Libyan rebels [UK Daily Mail]
