Abhishek blog

Key US lawmaker opposes arming Libya rebels

A key US lawmaker said Wednesday he opposed arming Libyan rebels until the United States knows more about them, warning those weapons might "later fall into the hands of bad actors."

"We need to be very careful before rushing into a decision that could come back to haunt us," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican, said in a statement.

His comments came as lawmakers wrestled with how best to help insurgents against embattled Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi's four-decade rule and bolster efforts to protect civilians from his troops.

Some in the US Congress have called for arming the rebels, saying their outgunned, ragtag forces are no match for Kadhafi's loyalists, while others have warned that US weapons could end up in the hands of Islamist extremists.

Similar divisions have emerged among Washington and its allies, with key leaders including President Barack Obama refusing to rule in, or out, such a step.

NATO's top commander said Tuesday that intelligence reporting on Libya's rebels has shown "flickers" of an Al-Qaeda or Hezbollah presence but that the opposition leaders appear "responsible."

"It's safe to say what the rebels stand against, but we are a long way from an understanding of what they stand for," said Rogers. "Even if you think you know them, you can't guarantee that those weapons won't later fall into the hands of bad actors," said Rogers.

"We don't have to look very far back in history to find examples of the unintended consequences of passing out advanced weapons to a group of fighters we didn't know as well as we should have," he said.