The United States says it is recognizing Libya's rebel Transitional National Council, declaring that the country's leader Moammar Gadhafi no longer has any legitimate authority over the North African nation.
Assurances given
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement Friday in Istanbul, as top officials from major Western and regional powers met to map strategies to strengthen the Libyan opposition in their bid to oust Gadhafi from his 42-year reign.
She said the rebel group had offered the international Libyan contact group planning for a post-Gadhafi, democratic Libya "important assurances" that it would be inclusive geographically and politically, uphold the country's international obligations and use outside financial assistance in a humanitarian way to aid the Libyan people.