Libyan Opposition Envoy To Visit Washington This Week

4/13/2011

(RTTNews) - A envoy of the Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC), an opposition group fighting the regime of authoritarian leader Moammar Qadhafi, is expected to visit Washington later this week to hold talks with senior US administration and defense officials, the State Department announced Wednesday.

According to State Department spokesman Mark Toner, Mahmoud Jibril is visiting the United States in an effort to convince Washington to provide greater support to the rebel movement trying to topple the repressive Qadhafi regime in Libya.

Toner said Jibril is expected to arrive in the United States on Thursday and added that the Libyan would hold talks with senior Pentagon and State Department officials as well as members of Congress in the course of his visit. But Toner did not specify when those talks would take place.

"These meetings will allow us to continue to get a better sense of the opposition and the Transitional National Council and its vision for Libya," Toner said, noting that US envoy Chris Stevens is currently in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi to get a "firsthand" assessment of the opposition.

Toner said the Obama administration is "also trying to take an approach that allows us to understand both their needs as well as who they are." His remarks came as Washington was undecided on arming the Libyan rebels as demanded by the TNC.

Jibril represents the Transitional National Council, which has been recognized as Libya's legitimate government by countries like France, Italy and Qatar. It currently controls most of eastern Libya and is based in the city of Benghazi.

The 31-member TNC, led by former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil, has an executive arm, and maintains an armed force consisting mainly of defected military personnel. It is yet to be recognized by the United States.

Currently, a NATO-led military operation is progressing in Libya to enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone over the North African country, and to protect the civilians from attack by pro-Qadhafi forces. In addition to its original intentions, the operation has also assisted the TNC forces in their fight against the Qadhafi regime.

The TNC has been urging the NATO to intensify its operations in Libya in wake of the brutal shelling of civilian areas in the cities of Misrata and Ajdabiya by pro-Qadhafi forces. Despite making several cease-fire declarations after the international airstrikes began, pro-Qadhafi forces continue to attack rebel-held cities and towns causing many civilian causalities.

Earlier this week, the TNC had rejected a cease-fire deal proposed by the African Union for ending the eight-week-long violent conflict, insisting that it would only accept a deal that includes the removal of Qadhafi from power. The deal, however, was approved by Qadhafi.

Source: RTT News.
Link: http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1597706&SM=1.