Italy to send military instructors to train Libyan rebels

Update at 11:14 a.m. ET: National Transition Council spokesman Mustafa Gheirani says the military advisers will be a big help since the rebels lack the organization necessary to take on Gadhafi's forces, The Associated Press reports.
"My understanding is that it will all be administrative help, nothing with weapons and nothing in the field," Gheirani says.

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The announcements regading military advisers came after a representative of the rebels' transitional government met with French and Italian leaders.

Update at 9:43 a.m. ET: Reuters has a slightly different story on reports that Italian military instructors will be going to Libya. The news agency quotes the Italian defense minister as saying Italy may send 10 military trainers to Libya, but the time, place and specialization remain to be determined.

Earlier posting: Italy announced today that it is sending military instructors to train rebels in Libya, one day after Britain announced the dispatch of 20 military advisers.

At the same time, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says France will intensify its airstrikes in Libya at the request of opposition forces, the Associated Press reports.

France's Foreign Ministry says that it already has military liaison officers on the ground in the rebel-held city of Benghazi. The officers are trying to help the rebels organize and bolster the NATO air campaign that has failed to rout Moammar Gadhafi's military.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Tuesday that the 20 military officers Britain is sending will help the rebels in such areas as communications, organizational structures and humanitarian aid and would not assist their attacks on forces loyal to Gadhafi.

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