Nightly News   |  April 20, 2011

NATO backs Younes, seeks to break stalemate

The national council said Wednesday they are backing Gen Abdel Fattah Younes, a former interior minister and Gadhafi friend who defected, in hopes the military advisors, along with increased air strikes, will help break the cycle of intense violence in Misrata that has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

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>>> in addition to the nato air campaign in libya, the obama administration is preparing to provide those anti-gadhafi rebels on the ground with as much as $25 million in aid for the forces to be used for things like body armor and medical supplies and three nations, britten, france, and italy, said they're sending advisers to benghazi to help in a non-combat role. already, rumors have started up today. stephanie gosk is in benghazi for us tonight. good evening.

>> it's made to begin like a mission. these are not ground troops . they're military officers who won't be taking part in fighting. they'll help with lujustices, communication, and organization, and 24r are signs all the way to the top, that kind of help is needed. two generals have been fighting very publicly for the command position of the rebel forces, and after days of bad publicity where they both claim they're in charge, finally the national security council came out in support of one of them. he's the former interior minister here as well as a form former friend of gadhafi. nato helps the military advisers and an increase in air strikes will help end the military stalemate here and hopefully end that intense violence where already hundreds of civilians have been killed and now two award winning yearnalists.

>> stephanie gosk has been covering