British officials have confirmed NATO is actively helping the Libyan rebels in their search for Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, whose whereabouts have been unknown since rebel forces stormed Tripoli. British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said NATO intelligence and reconnaissance assets are being used in the search. On Wednesday, rebel groups announced a cash award for the capturing or killing of Gaddafi. With much of Tripoli in rebel hands, the NATO-backed forces are now heading to Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli. Gaddafi forces are still firmly in control of Sirte, as well as Sabha in the desert to the south. Libyan rebel leader Mahmoud Jibril spoke in France on Wednesday after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mahmoud Jibril, Libyan rebel leader: “I can confirm that our battle as the Libyan nation is still not over. It has not finished on the ground, because Gaddafi forces are bombing indiscriminately at the southern towns, especially Sabha. A large number of regime remnants and pockets are still performing as snipers and assassins, even in Tripoli’s streets. This should be a reminder that the duty of protecting civilians is not yet over.”