And here I thought we had a budget crisis. But when mission creep kicks in, the budget always gets thrown out the window.
The US plans to send $25m worth of non-lethal equipment to the rebel opposition in eastern Libya, in a move likely to further entangle the west in the two-month-old civil war.Meanwhile, France and Italy are sending ground troops to assist the anti-Gaddafi forces.
The proposal to send surplus Pentagon equipment, including vehicles, medical supplies, protective vests, binoculars and radios, follows Italy's decision to join Britain and France in sending military advisers to the Libyan opposition and a French pledge to intensify air strikes.
The Libyan government has warned that such moves will further prolong the conflict and "encourage the other side to be more defiant".
