Libya Contact Group Declares Official Support for Rebels

The United States, Turkey and other nations on Friday formally recognized Libya’s main opposition group as the country’s legitimate government until a new interim authority is created.

The decision, which declared Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s regime no longer legitimate, will potentially free up cash that the rebels fighting Libyan forces urgently need.

“The Contact Group reaffirmed that the Gadhafi regime no longer has any legitimate authority in Libya and that Gadhafi and certain members of his family must go. Henceforth and until an interim authority is in place, participants agreed to deal with the National Transitional Council, or NTC, as the legitimate governing authority in Libya” said Friday’s final statement by the Contact Group on Libya.

In addition to the U.S., the 32-nation Contact Group on Libya includes members of NATO, the EU and the Arab League.The recognition of the Libyan opposition as the legitimate government gives foes of Gadhafi a major financial and credibility boost.

Diplomatic recognition of the council means that the U.S. will be able to fund the opposition with some of the more than $30 billion in Gahdafi-regime assets that are frozen in American banks. “The U.S. views the Gadhafi regime as no longer having any legitimate authority in Libya,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “And so I am announcing today that, until an interim authority is in place, the U.S. will recognize the NTC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis.”

The Contact Group statement urged a smooth transition to democracy and ruled out participation of “perpetrators of atrocities against civilians” in a future political settlement.

July 15, 2011
SOURCE: TURKISH DAILY NEWS