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Global

Italy denies has offered arms to Libya rebels


    ROME (Reuters) - Italy on Saturday denied it had reached any agreement with Libyan rebels to supply them with arms in their battle against Muammar Gaddafi.

    "There has been no agreement to supply them with weapons," a foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters.

    He was responding to a claim by a rebel spokesman in Benghazi who said Italy had agreed to supply the anti-Gaddafi forces with whatever weapons they needed.

    The foreign ministry spokesman said Italy would only offer the rebels "equipment for self defence" as agreed by the so-called Libyan "contact group" at a meeting in Doha last month.

    (Reporting by Gavin Jones)