The British prime minister has not ruled out the possibility of sending British ground forces into Libya.
“We have to ask ourselves what more can we do to protect civilian life and to stop Gaddafi’s war machine unleashing such hell on his own people,” Cameron said in a Televsion interview.
Britain has already provided body armour and communications technology to the rebels, The Telegraph reports. “We’re looking at those things and what else we can do,”.
Cameron refused to rule out short-term ground-level operations by British forces but confirmed there would be “no occupying force, no invasion. The position hasn’t changed.”
Onetime Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell said he believed “The PM’s words need careful interpretation.”
“ ‘Occupation’ necessarily implies large numbers of troops being in Libya for a substantial period of time,” he said.
“The Prime Minister’s answer could imply military assistance or support at a much lower level, designed to stiffen the resolve and improve the quality of the rebel effort.”
A month of sustained Allied airstrikes have failed to loosen Colonel
Gaddafi’s grip on the embattled country and the recent siege in the rebel held town of Misrata
has intensified pressure on Nato forces to rethink their strategy.
There has been substantial loss of civilian life in the Western city of
Misrata and Gaddafi’s forces have been accused of using cluster bombs,
which are banned by more than 100 countries.
