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Libyan rebels say they don’t want foreign intervention

Will Rahn Senior Editor
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A spokesman for a Libyan rebel group says his organization does not want foreign governments to intervene in their struggle against Moammar Gaddafi’s regime, Al Arabia reports.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that the U.S. is prepared to offer “any kind of assistance” to Libyans looking to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. “We are reaching out to many different Libyans in the east as the revolution moves westward there as well,” Clinton said before leaving to discuss the ongoing crisis with diplomats in Geneva.

Also on Sunday, Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain and independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman both stopped short of calling for military intervention on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Lieberman said the U.S. “should recognize the opposition government as the legitimate government of Libya and that we ought to give that government, certainly, humanitarian assistance and military arms.” Although McCain did not call for a military response, he refused to rule out the possibility.

Hafiz Ghoga, the spokesman for the newly formed National Libyan Council in the rebel controlled eastern city of Benghazi , said “foreign intervention” would not be welcome.

“The rest of Libya will be liberated by the people … and Gaddafi’s security forces will be eliminated by the people of Libya,” Ghoga said at a news conference. His remarks were not a direct response to Clinton’s comments, according to Reuters.

According to Ghoga, the National Libyan Council was formed as a “political face…for the revolution” and is not an interim government.

“We will help liberate other Libyan cities, in particular Tripoli through our national army, our armed forces, of which part have announced their support for the people,” Ghoga continued. He also told reporters that it was “premature to talk about elections” while fighting continues