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The United States on Friday formally recognised the Libyan opposition, making way for the transfer of billions of dollars of frozen funds to the Benghazi based Transitional National Council.
In a meeting in Istanbul of the pro-opposition, Libya Contact Group, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that until an interim authority was in place “the United States will recognise the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis”. The latest U.S. position was adopted in tandem with a decision taken to recognise the TNC by the Libya Contact Group, which includes more than 30 countries as well as regional and international organisations.
However, the message emerging out of the Istanbul conclave was not entirely one sided. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said to usher in a political transition, communication with the government in Tripoli would be maintained and channelised through United Nations envoy Abdul Elah Al-Khatib. Xinhua quoted Mr. Frattini as saying the U.N. envoy would work towards forming a board composed of three opposition members and an equal number from the Libyan government. The purpose of this board would be to initiate a political process.
Regarding Mr. Qadhafi, Mr. Frattini said the Libyan leader must step down. However, his physical presence after his political exit was negotiable. He pointed out that “it is an open point whether to accept after Qadhafi's departure [that] he stays in the country, or he leaves the country”. The Italian Minister clarified that it was now up to Mr. Khatib and his staff to decide on Mr. Qadhafi's status after he relinquished office.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he hoped a political solution would emerge by the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, which begins in August.
Despite months of an intensive air campaign, a combination of NATO air strikes and a ground campaign by the opposition has failed to dislodge Mr. Qadhafi's regime. On Thursday, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen appealed to the alliance members to provide more warplanes to bomb Libyan military targets.
Among the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China and Russia have been sceptical about the outcome of the NATO air campaign. Both countries had declined participation in the Istanbul meeting.
In a defiant televised address late on Wednesday, Mr. Qadhafi said Tripoli was seeking prosecution of the NATO chief in Libyan courts for “war crimes” on account of the killing of more than 1,100 civilians due to the relentless air strikes. He also called French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a “war criminal”, accusing him of staining his country's history and destroying France's ties with the Muslim world. The Libyan leader exhorted his forces to march on Benghazi and liberate the city of “traitors”.
In a meeting in Istanbul of the pro-opposition, Libya Contact Group, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that until an interim authority was in place “the United States will recognise the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis”. The latest U.S. position was adopted in tandem with a decision taken to recognise the TNC by the Libya Contact Group, which includes more than 30 countries as well as regional and international organisations.
However, the message emerging out of the Istanbul conclave was not entirely one sided. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said to usher in a political transition, communication with the government in Tripoli would be maintained and channelised through United Nations envoy Abdul Elah Al-Khatib. Xinhua quoted Mr. Frattini as saying the U.N. envoy would work towards forming a board composed of three opposition members and an equal number from the Libyan government. The purpose of this board would be to initiate a political process.
Regarding Mr. Qadhafi, Mr. Frattini said the Libyan leader must step down. However, his physical presence after his political exit was negotiable. He pointed out that “it is an open point whether to accept after Qadhafi's departure [that] he stays in the country, or he leaves the country”. The Italian Minister clarified that it was now up to Mr. Khatib and his staff to decide on Mr. Qadhafi's status after he relinquished office.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he hoped a political solution would emerge by the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, which begins in August.
Despite months of an intensive air campaign, a combination of NATO air strikes and a ground campaign by the opposition has failed to dislodge Mr. Qadhafi's regime. On Thursday, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen appealed to the alliance members to provide more warplanes to bomb Libyan military targets.
Among the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China and Russia have been sceptical about the outcome of the NATO air campaign. Both countries had declined participation in the Istanbul meeting.
In a defiant televised address late on Wednesday, Mr. Qadhafi said Tripoli was seeking prosecution of the NATO chief in Libyan courts for “war crimes” on account of the killing of more than 1,100 civilians due to the relentless air strikes. He also called French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a “war criminal”, accusing him of staining his country's history and destroying France's ties with the Muslim world. The Libyan leader exhorted his forces to march on Benghazi and liberate the city of “traitors”.