Egypt arming Libya rebels, Wall Street Journal reports

LONDON, (Reuters) – Egypt’s military has begun  shipping arms over the border to Libyan rebels with Washington’s  knowledge, The Wall Street Journal reported today.
Quoting U.S. and Libyan rebel officials, the newspaper said  the shipments were mostly of small arms such as assault rifles  and ammunition.
It appeared to be the first case of an outside government  arming the rebel fighters, the newspaper said.
Rebels have been losing ground for days in the face of an  advance by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
The rebels have, however, been buoyed by the decision on  Thursday by the United Nations Security Council to authorise air  strikes in an attempt to curb Gaddafi’s forces.
The Journal reported that Egyptian weapons transfers began  “a few days ago” and are continuing, according to a senior U.S.  official.
“There’s no formal U.S. policy or acknowledgement that this  is going on,” said the official. But “this is something we have  knowledge of”.
There was no official Egyptian confirmation of the  shipments, the newspaper said. The United States is a major ally  and supplier of military aid to Egypt.
“We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but  they can’t be so visible,” said Hani Souflakis, a Libyan  businessman in Cairo who has been acting as a rebel liaison with  the Egyptian government since the uprising began, according to  the newspaper.
“Weapons are getting through,” said Souflakis. “Americans  have given the green light to the Egyptians to help. The  Americans don’t want to be involved in a direct level, but the  Egyptians wouldn’t do it if they didn’t get the green light.”
A spokesman for the rebel government in Benghazi said arms  shipments had begun arriving to the rebels but declined to  specify where they came from, the Journal said.