LONDON ? Britain said Thursday it is providing body armor, police uniforms and communications equipment to help Libya's opposition protect rebel leaders and international officials based in the country's eastern cities.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that the U.K. was offering 5,000 sets of body armor, 6,650 uniforms, 5,000 high-visibility vests and communications equipment for police loyal to Libya's opposition.
"This equipment will enable the civilian police to carry out their functions more securely and better protect National Transitional Council representatives and the significant international and NGO communities in Benghazi, Misrata and other areas of Libya" under opposition control, Hague said.
As Britain announced the assistance, Libya's opposition leader said rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi need more and better weapons to win their conflict and spare more bloodshed.
Mahmoud Jibril spoke Thursday after meeting Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and a day after France acknowledged air-dropping weapons to the rebels.
French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard said Wednesday that France had airlifted weapons to Libyan civilians in a mountain region south of Tripoli.
The deliveries of guns, rocket-propelled grenades and munitions took place in early June in the western Nafusa mountains, when Gadhafi's troops had encircled civilians.
Jibril also warned that unless the opposition council receives large amounts of foreign money, schools will not be able to open later this year. Earlier this week, it was handed an initial $100 million in donor money to pay for salaries and fuel.
The international contact group on Libya has already pledged to supply more than $1.3 billion for Libya's opposition.
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