Nato must stay strong if we are to overthrow Gaddafi, warns Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton today issued a plea for Nato to stay strong in the fight against Colonel Gaddafi.

Amid fresh disagreements over stepping up military action, the US Secretary of State said the dictator was "testing our determination".

She told a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Berlin: "As our mission continues, maintaining our resolve and unity only grows more important."

But she left herself open to criticism by refusing to pledge greater US involvement in Libya after calls from France and Britain for Nato to "intensify" attacks on Gaddafi's heavy weapons. President Barack Obama is facing fresh pressure to send more planes after America stepped back from the leading role.

Spain also ruled out joining air strikes and Italy signalled it would not participate amid fears of a stalemate in Libya.

Mrs Clinton expressed concern about "atrocities" unfolding in Misrata, vowing those responsible would be "held accountable".

Heavy shelling from Gaddafi's troops on Misrata, the only rebel stronghold in the west, was reported to have killed at least 23 civilians.

"A massacre will take place here if Nato does not intervene strongly," a rebel spokesman said.
Britain, France and Qatar are leading a push for more support for the rebels and the Arab nation has indicated that it is prepared to supply weapons. Qatari troops are reportedly already training them.

The rebels said they were in talks with "friendly" countries to obtain arms. "I don't think there will be a problem getting weapons," the rebels' national council spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, said from their stronghold of Benghazi.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has called for more alliance members to join attacks on ground targets and his French counterpart, Alain Juppé, called for heavier military action against Gaddafi's troops to convince him to leave power.

A French presidential source said Paris had no plans to arm the rebels, although it would not oppose other countries if they decided to do so.

Britain is not proposing to send weapons but, as revealed by the Standard yesterday, it is to supply 1,000 sets of body armour from surplus British defence supplies to Libyan rebels, on top of 100 satellite phones already sent.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Arab League head Amr Moussa and officials from the African Union and Organisation of the Islamic Conference will discuss Libya at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo today.