As President Obama refused to rule out U.S. military aid to Libyan rebels, the U.S. commander of NATO has left open the prospect of an international force entering Libyan territory. Testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral James Stavridis was asked about whether NATO could send ground troops into Libya.

Adm. James Stavridis: “I wouldn’t say NATO is considering it yet, but I think that when you look at the history of NATO, having gone through this, as many on this committee have, with Bosnia and Kosovo, it’s quite clear that the possibility of a stabilization regime exists. And so, I have not heard any discussion about it yet, but I think that history is in everybody’s mind as we look at the events in Libya.”

Libyan rebels have maintained support for international air strikes but have rejected the prospect of an international invasion. A rebel spokesperson in Benghazi said the rebels will overthrow Gaddafi on their own.

Iman Boughaigis: “To liberate our country, this is our duty, so we thank the United States and the coalition for what they are doing and just we emphasise that from the beginning we didn’t ask for liberation–we will liberate our country.”