Libyan opposition seeks more support

Delegates from nearly 40 countries seeking an end to the Libyan conflict met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss more financial aid and diplomatic support to Libya’s main opposition group as the rebels struggled to defeat Gadhafi-loyal forces.
Senior U.S. officials have said the Obama administration is preparing to strengthen ties with the Transitional National Council once it presents detailed plans for a democratic, transparent and inclusive government as it becomes increasingly clear that the Council will govern a post-Gadhafi Libya.
The council is expected to lay out plans for moving forward during the meeting of the Contact Group on Libya and seek more financial aid as well as diplomatic recognition.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton greets Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Namik Tan, right, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, center, and his wife, Marie Ricciardone

However, there was uncertainty whether 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.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen are also attending the meeting.
Rebel forces are trying to close in on the Libyan capital to overthrow Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. But his forces reportedly repelled a coordinated attack by NATO forces and rebels against a strategic oil town, Brega, in the east of the country on Thursday. The report could not be independently verified.
NATO is enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya and hitting government targets as part of a U.N. mandate to protect civilians. It is not, however, supposed to be the military arm of rebel ground forces, which have been trying to retake Brega for months.
The civil war in Libya appears to have hit a stalemate, despite a protracted NATO bombing campaign against Gadhafi’s forces. Rebels control eastern Libya and pockets in the west, while Gadhafi is holding on to Tripoli and large stretches of western Libya.