Tripoli, Libya (CNN) — NATO took sole command of air operations in Libya today as CIA operatives worked the field to connect with rebel fighters who have seen their surge toward Tripoli impeded.
A U.S. intelligence source said the CIA is operating in the country to help increase U.S. “military and political understanding” of the situation. “Yes, we are gathering intel firsthand and we are in contact with some opposition entities,” the source told CNN.
Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, indicated today that in his view, the presence of foreign intelligence personnel would not violate the U.N. resolution authorizing action in Libya. The resolution prohibits “occupation forces,” a term that “has a quite clear meaning,” Di Paola said at a news conference in response to a question from CNN.
He also said NATO receives and uses intelligence from allies and does not judge the sources.
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The CIA has had a presence in Libya for some time, a U.S. official told CNN earlier this month. “The intelligence community is aggressively pursuing information on the ground,” the official said.
The CIA sent additional personnel to Libya to augment officers on the ground after the anti-government protests erupted, a U.S. official told CNN. The official did not give details.
CIA officers assisted with the rescue of one of two U.S. airmen whose fighter jet crashed in Libya on March 21, a knowledgeable U.S. source said.
The NATO mission — called Operation Unified Protector — includes an arms embargo, a no-fly zone and “actions to protect civilians and civilian centers,” the alliance said.
