Obama recognizes Libya's rebel movement despite not knowing them

By Paul Richter

July 15, 2011, 9:03 a.m.

The Obama administration on Friday formally recognized Libya’s leading rebel group as the country’s legitimate government, a move designed to increase pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi, while freeing up foreign-held funds for the cash-starved rebels.

Appearing at an international conference in Istanbul, Turkey,Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States was joining 29 other countries in granting official recognition. She said the administration now recognized the council as the “legitimate government authority for Libya,” and would treat it that way until an “interim authority” takes over.

The administration has resisted taking this formal step for months, because of concerns that the loosely organized council could include dangerous militants, and because of worries that the group didn’t meet legal definitions of a sovereign government. FULL STORY