frican Union (AU) representatives are m eeting in

Ethiopia Friday to consider whether they should

recognize Libya's opposition coalition as the country's
new government.
The more than 50-m em ber bloc has declined to recognize
the opposition Transitional National Council (TNC). But AU
commission chairman Jean Ping said Friday that events in
Libya had reached a decisive stage over the past few days. He
noted that the TNC had entered Tripoli and taken control.
Meanwhile, TNC leader Mahmoud Jibril says the only way his
group cdn succeed is if the international community frees all
of the assets frozen during Moammar Gadhafi's reign.
He said Friday that the opposition needs the money in order
to pay the salaries of civil servants and maintain services.
Also, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero
said Friday the country wanted to see Gadhafi's assets re
distributed to Libyans. France was the first power to
recognize the opposition TNC.

On Thursday, the United States said it soon will release

$1.5 billion in frozen Libyan assets to the country's
opposition-run council for urgent humanitarian aid.
The U.N. Security Council approved the funds' release after
the United States and South Africa reached a deal,
designating where the funds would go. Earlier, South Africa
had expressed hesitation about releasing the funds,
concerned they might end up in the wrong hands.
In a separate development Friday, the Amnesty
International rights group said it had uncovered evidence
indicating that pro-Gadhafi forces had killed "numerous
detainees" at two military camps in Tripoli this week.
The rights group said detainees who managed to escape
had described how government forces used live
ammunition and grenades on captives. The group urged
Gadhafi loyalists to immediately stop the killings.
Some information fo r this report was provided by AFP and
Reuters,

Libyan Rebel Chief Says Success

Hinges on Releasing Assets.
he head of Libyas rebel
he had attended a meeting of
government says the only way
diplomats a day earlier focused
it can succeed is if the
on the Libyan crisis. The stop in
international community frees all ofTurkey was the latest in his
European tour this week aimed
his countrys assets frozen during
at gaining the release of Libyan
Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's reign.
assets frozen abroad.
Libyas Transitional National Council
chief Mahmud Jabril said Friday that
On Thursday, the United States
said it soon will release $1.5
the opposition needs the money in
billion in frozen Libyan assets to
order to pay the salaries of civil
servants and maintain services.
the country's opposition-run
council for urgent humanitarian
He was speaking in Istanbul, where
aid.

(ilewsgrain Magazi ne

The United Nations Security Council

approved the funds' release after the United
States and South Africa reached a deal,
designating where the funds would go.
Earlier, South Africa had expressed
hesitation about releasing the funds,
concerned they may end up in the wrong
hands,
Instead of asking that the funds be released
specifically to the opposition's Transitional
National Council, Washington changed the
authorization to say they will be designated