BLBG: Libya’s Opposition Council Is Accepted by Europe, U.S. as Sole Government
The U.S. and allies meeting to discuss Libya have recognized the Transitional National Council as the sole legitimate governing authority in the country, a step that allows for greater funding for the group whose forces are fighting to oust Muammar Qaddafi.
“Until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the TNC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today in Istanbul, where the allies of the Libya Contact Group held their fourth meeting.
The contact group laid out the conditions for a “genuine cease-fire” in a final statement and declared that leader Qaddafi and certain members of his family must go. The cease- fire conditions call for the complete withdrawal of Qaddafi-led forces to their bases. Also, all borders and border gates must be kept open for the quick return of refugees.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization started aerial strikes in late March to aid rebels seeking Qaddafi’s ouster. Qaddafi has already lasted longer than allies had anticipated, though his hold on the capital, Tripoli, appears to be weakening amid shortages of food and fuel and reports that his government is seeking a political solution to the fighting.
The allies met to determine how to ensure those opposed to Qaddafi are able to fill the vacuum left after the Libyan leader’s expected departure.
Indefinite Campaign
The military campaign against the Libyan government will continue “indefinitely” until Qaddafi steps down, U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters earlier today in Istanbul.
“The Qaddafi regime staying in power creates an unstable situation in Libya,” United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan said during a news conference to open the meeting. “We have to be more forceful, more insistent.”
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be the only person entitled to negotiate with both sides in Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters outside the meeting. Ban will work to set up a board of two to three interlocutors from Tripoli and the rebel-held town of Benghazi, he said.
Recognition of the council “will allow some countries to unfreeze some money,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said. Libyan frozen assets in France total $250 million, he said.
The contact group continues to believe time is on its side in the struggle for control of the oil-rich country, said two U.S. State Department officials who spoke anonymously before today’s meeting because they aren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
More Warplanes
Britain will add four Tornado warplanes to its force in the air campaign against Qaddafi’s military, bringing the total number of British aircraft involved to 34, a spokesman for the U.K. Foreign Ministry said at the meeting.
Italy will open a credit line to rebels using frozen regime assets as collateral, and will provide them with 100 million euros ($141 million) today, Frattini said. Another 300 million euros will be released in two weeks and in total, Italy will release 400 million euros, he said, describing the money as loans.
Libya’s rebels must have access to the country’s frozen assets, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said today at the meeting. There is an “urgent need for cash,” he said, calling on countries to “open banks” to the rebels’ council, “along with a percentage of frozen assets.”
No Contributions Today
The U.S. has yet to deliver aid to the rebel council. The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a plan to funnel frozen Libyan assets to the group. The U.S. has frozen more than $30 billion of the Qaddafi government’s assets. Hague said the U.K. won’t be making any financial contributions today.
The Obama administration pressing for assurances that Libyans from different tribes and area will be represented in post-Qaddafi Libya, the State Department officials said.
The contact group has created an information clearinghouse in Benghazi, the rebel stronghold, to ensure it learns of the opposition’s needs, the U.S. officials said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Nicole Gaouette in Istanbul at ngaouette@bloomberg.net; Benjamin Harvey in Istanbul at bharvey11@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net; Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net.
