McCain travels to #Libya to meet with rebel forces

Benghazi, Libya (CNN) -- Libyan rebels made gains Friday on the morale front from Sen. John McCain's visit to Benghazi and on the battlefront as they gained ground in central Misrata, under a bloody siege for weeks.

The rebels, locked in a deadly standoff with forces loyal to strongman Moammar Gadhafi, welcomed McCain to their de facto capital, Benghazi. McCain's tour came a day after the United States said it was deploying drones to Libya.

McCain, a strong proponent of beefing up U.S. efforts to oust Gadhafi from power, said the drones would increase NATO's capability but not enough to make up a shortfall in assets needed to break a "significant degree of stalemate."

He said he was against U.S. troops on the ground, but he said nations need to "facilitate" weapons and training for the rebels.

"We have prevented the worst outcome in Libya, McCain told reporters in Benghazi. "Now we need to increase our support so that the Libyan people can achieve the only satisfactory outcome to this mass protest for universal rights -- the end of Gadhafi's rule and the beginning of a peaceful and inclusive transition to democracy that will benefit all Libyans."

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