Leaders of the opposition national council in rebel-controlled eastern Libya say they are making regular, secure contacts with allied military representatives in Europe to help commanders identify targets for the U.S.-led air assault.
The contacts, conducted through the council's civilian representatives in France and elsewhere in Europe, are made by secure satellite telephone connections, according to spokesmen for the rebel leadership in Benghazi.
"There is communication between the Provisional National Council and U.N. assembled forces, and we work on letting them know what areas need to be bombarded," spokesman Ahmed Khalifa said in an interview Wednesday.
The contacts, which began over the weekend, are evidence of cooperation between the Libyan opposition and the international military alliance that is waging air and missile strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's command and control centers as well as other military targets.
They also highlight the diplomatic delicacy of the mission and the awkwardness of a military operation designed by multiple governments with sometimes conflicting goals. The Obama administration and the Pentagon say the resolution does not authorize airstrikes specifically for rebel forces.
The White House declined to comment on whether allied commanders had established regular contact with the rebels to help identify military targets. A Pentagon spokesman, Marine Col. Dave Lapan, said there is "no formal or informal contact" between the rebels and American forces.
But Navy Rear Adm. Gerard Hueber, chief of staff of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, said that though there was no official collaboration, information was being passed from the coalition to the rebels. "We have told ... the opposition forces how to maneuver, and we have also told Moammar Gadhafi's forces what they were expected to do in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution," he told reporters.
In addition, current and former American officials say that CIA operatives and equipment were sent into rebel-held areas to monitor their activity even before the air bombardment began. It's not clear whether those operatives are still in Libya, and if so, what is their current role.
Many, if not most, of the coalition governments want to help the rebels grind down Gadhafi's forces. But since the United Nations authorized only a limited mission intended to prevent Gadhafi from killing civilians, officials are unable to acknowledge that they intend to help the rebels.
