Washington, April 06: A US envoy has arrived in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi for talks with the Libyan opposition, US officials said on Tuesday.
President Barack Obama’s liaison to the Libyan opposition, Chris Stevens, has gone with experts from the US Agency for International Development to finalise plans for bringing humanitarian assistance into eastern Libya, officials said.
The US has yet to formally recognise the opposition, although France, Italy and Qatar have already accepted it as a legitimate representative of the Libyan people. There are reports that Kuwait is also expected to announce its recognition soon.
Mr Stevens was the number two official at the US Embassy in Tripoli before it suspended operations earlier this year.
Officials in Washington told the media that the delegation would meet leaders of the Transitional National Council in an effort to help the US better understand the composition and goals of the Libyan opposition. He will also discuss potential financial assistance and humanitarian aid.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner told an earlier briefing that the United States had raised concerns with the Libyan opposition about reports of Al Qaeda obtaining weapons in eastern Libya.
“We are aware of these reports too and it has been one of the topics of our conversation with … the opposition forces,” spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. “We have made very clear our concerns and they have … pledged that they will look into it.”
Other State Department officials told reporters that Mr Stevens’ visit was part of the outreach efforts launched by Secretary of State of Hillary Clinton. “He’s going to talk to the TNC leadership about the kind of civil society and political structure they are trying to build in Libya,” one official said.
“It is encouraging so far that they have outlined their commitment to democracy and to a very robust engagement with Libyans from across the political spectrum and this is in line with what they have consistently said were their goals.”
Washington recognised the Libyan opposition’s need for funds and was “looking at ways in which we can assist”, the official added. The Obama administration, however, has been reluctant to provide arms to the outgunned rebels mainly because of concerns about Al Qaeda’s possible presence within their ranks.
Last week Secretary Clinton had her second meeting with representatives from the TNC at a conference in London.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department has lifted sanctions against former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa in the hopes that it will encourage other senior officials in Muammar Qadhafi’s regime to defect.
In a blog posting on the Treasury website, a senior official said following Mr Koussa’s decision to sever ties with the government of Libya, the former foreign minister will no longer be subject to a US freeze on his assets.
——–Agencies