McCain also called the rebels "patriots" with no links to al-Qaida.

John McCain: Let’s Increase Military Support to Libyan Rebels & Train Them to Oust Gadhafi

Posted on April 22, 2011 at 9:04pm
by Emily Esfahani Smith
206 Comments

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — U.S. Sen. John McCain called for increased military support for Libya’s rebels Friday, including weapons, training and stepped-up airstrikes, in a full-throated endorsement of the opposition in its fight to oust Moammar Gadhafi.

In the Libyan capital, meanwhile, a senior official said government troops would step back and allow local armed tribesmen to deal with rebels in the besieged city of Misrata.

The action came a day after the U.S. began flying armed drones to bolster NATO airstrikes, and having the tribesmen take up the fight could make it harder for the Predators to distinguish them from Misrata’s civilians or the rebels.

Video: McCain in Libya: Need More Support for Rebels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGlNEE2 ... r_embedded

McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the United States and other nations should recognize the opposition’s political leadership as the “legitimate voice of the Libyan people.â€