April 14, 2011

TRIPOLI - Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim on April 13 accused Qatar of providing rebels in the east of the country with French-made Milan anti-tank missiles.

"Qatar sent French Milan missiles to the rebels in Benghazi," the eastern city that serves as their base, Kaim told a news conference, adding that 20 Qatari experts were also in the city to train some 700 rebels.

Qatar and France are part of the international coalition carrying out a military intervention in Libya against Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Kaim also said that elements of the powerful Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah were fighting alongside the insurgents in the rebel city of Misrata, 120 miles east of Tripoli.

"The snipers in Misrata are elements of Hezbollah. This is not an anecdote, it's real," he said, claiming that western intelligence agencies were aware of the participation of Hezbollah in the events in Misrata.