US officials say they are preparing to strengthen ties with Libya's main opposit

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US officials say they are preparing to strengthen ties with Libya's main

opposition movement

By Lee, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 20 minutes ago

ISTANBUL - The Obama administration is preparing to strengthen ties with Libya's

main opposition movement as it becomes increasingly clear that the group will

govern a post-Gadahfi Libya, senior U.S. officials said Thursday.

Travelling with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to an

international meeting on Libya in Turkey, the officials told reporters on the

plane that Washington would bump up its relations with the Transitional National

Council once it presents detailed plans for a democratic, transparent and

inclusive government.

The council is expected to lay out plans for moving forward at Friday's meeting

of the Contact Group on Libya in Istanbul. The officials said it was not yet

clear if the presentation would satisfy concerns that the initial post-Gadhafi

regime represent the full spectrum of Libyan society: all regions, all tribes

and all political parties.

When and if it does, the U.S. will move to upgrade ties, freeing up financial

assistance and improve the council's credibility although it would not likely

amount to formal diplomatic recognition, the officials said. It would, however,

be a step up from where the council stands now, they said. The officials spoke

on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration plans.

The U.S. and a growing number of countries consider the council the legitimate

interlocutor for the Libyan people but do not formally recognize it as Libya's

government. The council has been seeking formal recognition from the United

States and others for months but has only received it from a handful of nations.

But with Moammar Gadhafi looking weakened and no significant rival opposition

group emerging, the officials travelling with Clinton said it was apparent that

more and more countries were looking to the council to run Libya at least for an

interim transition period before elections could be organized.

That will require political, economic and security planning and Friday's meeting

will look at how the participants can collectively help the TNC to govern, said

one of the U.S. officials. Another official said the focus would be turning the

council into an entity that is prepared to govern when the time comes and

prepared to organize elections.

Friday's meeting of senior officials from more than 35 nations NATO's operation

to protect Libyan civilians will be the fourth of its kind. It will be looking

at stepping up pressure on Gadhafi to leave power and increasing support for the

Transitional National Council.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged to special financial

mechanism, but tens of millions in frozen Gadhafi regime assets in the United

States and elsewhere are still inaccessible to the TNC because of the lack of

recognition and U.N. sanctions.

The conference takes place as officials assess that pressure is building against

Gadhafi's regime after months of apparent stalemate between his forces and

rebels. At the same time, French officials have said Libyan emissaries are

seeking sanctuary for Gadhafi, who has survived sustained bombing by NATO war

planes and armed drones since mid-March.

Clinton said Wednesday that Gadhafi associates were sending mixed messages about

whether he would be willing to step down but said she thought Gadhafi's days in

power " are numbered. "

" We will continue to work closely with our international partners ... to

increase the pressure on him and his regime, and we will keep looking for a way

to achieve a cease-fire, end the military action, give the Libyan people a

chance to plot their own way forward, " she said.

After the focus on Libya at the Contact Group, Clinton will meet Saturday with

Turkish officials for talks that are expected to concentrate on Middle East

peace efforts, Turkey's strained relations with Israel, Iran and the brutal

crackdown on pro-reform demonstrators in Syria. She will also attend an event in

Istanbul aimed at promoting religious tolerance with the head of the 57-nation

Organization of the Islamic Conference, which represents Muslim interests.

Clinton is in Turkey at the start of a 12-nation around-the-world diplomatic

tour that will also take her to Greece, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong and southern

mainland China. She is scheduled to return to Washington on July 25.