Five Army Generals among latest Libyan defectors

Libyan Army Generals who defected, appealed to fellow officers to join them.

Rome: Five Libyan Army Generals who
defected from Moammar Gaddafi`s regime are appealing to fellow
officers to join them in backing the rebels.

Italian foreign ministry officials presented the
generals, two colonels and a major at a news conference in
Rome Monday.

Gen Melud Massoud Halasa said Gaddafi`s forces are
only 20 percent as efficient as they were before the
rebellion, and at most 10 generals are still loyal to him.

Mahmoud Shammam, of the Libyan Transitional National
Council also speaking at the conference said other officers,
based in Tripoli or the rebel-held city of Misrata, have also
fled to Tunisia.

Shammam`s account, along with his claim that some 120
officers have fled in recent days, could not immediately be
verified.

PTI