Libya Rebels Being Armed By French Military

With Libyan rebels blocked in the north, the French military has secretly begun supplying weapons to insurgent Berber tribes in the southern mountains, who are attempting to advance on Tripoli, Le Figaro has learned. During the past few weeks, the French military has dropped weapons in the Djebel Nefousa mountains to the Berber rebels, who have taken up the fight against Muammar Gaddafi's troops.

Opposition forces are stuck in the northern city of Misrata and in Brega in the east. Paris hopes the Berber insurgents' initial success on the southern front is the best chance to connect to dormant opposition movements in Tripoli. "The regime's mercenaries are not being paid anymore. They are barely fed and the population cannot stand the whole situation any longer," says a French source. "Tripoli will rise up if the rebels reach it."

Read more on Le Figaro/Worldcrunch