Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the administration is trying to free some of the $30 billion of Libyan state funds frozen in the United States to help the rebels in Libya. Clinton is attending a meeting in Rome of the so-called "Libya Contact Group," where the Italian government said a special fund is being set up to channel money to rebel leaders in Benghazi. Two Arab Gulf states said they would make contributions to the fund: Kuwait promised $180 million, while Qatar said it would contribute between $400 million and $500 million.
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This is All Things Considered from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.
First this hour, Libya. In a moment, we'll hear from the frontlines in eastern Libya, but we begin with an international gathering in Rome.
The U.S. and other countries shifted their focus from military topics to diplomacy and finance. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton called for more measures to bolster the Libyan opposition. She also said the Obama administration will try to release at least some of the more than $30 billion in frozen Libyan assets for the rebels to use.
NPR's Sylvia Poggioli has our story from Rome.
SYLVIA POGGIOLI: The meeting came at a time of growing international impatience with the military operation in Libya. Initial hopes that the Gadhafi regime would quickly collapse under the NATO-led air campaign have not been fulfilled and the two sides are locked in a stalemate.
In a sign of just how frustrated the international community is, French foreign minister Alain Juppe, whose country was in the forefront in supporting the rebels and launching airstrikes has said the military intervention must end as rapidly as possible. In fact, today, the military situation was not on the agenda. Secretary of State Clinton told reporters this morning what the meeting would discuss.
Secretary HILARY CLINTON (Department of State): How better to increase the pressure on Gadhafi and those around him. Diplomatically, politically, economically, how we can bring about the outcome that the people of Libya and the international community seek. An end to the violence against civilians and the beginning of a democratic transition to a better future.
POGGIOLI: Secretary Clinton told the meeting participants that the world must keep isolating the Gadhafi regime, including travel bans on top officials, sending envoys to work with the opposition and pulling the plug on the regime's propaganda incitements to violence.
The secretary of state was asked by an Italian journalist whether the U.S. was considering a raid on Gadhafi like the one on Osama bin Laden.
Sec. CLINTON: We've made it abundantly clear that the best way to protect civilians is for Gadhafi to cease his ruthless, brutal attacks on civilians from the west to the east, to withdraw from the cities that he is sieging(ph) and attacking and to leave power. So that is the outcome we are seeking.
POGGIOLI: The Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini outlined a system that would provide the rebels with financial assistance. He described a partial unfreezing of Gadhafi regime assets in international banks, as well as the creation of an internationally-monitored fund to which nations can make contributions.
The rebels could use this fund for their immediate needs in covering the cost of food, medicine and hospitals. Frattini did not supply any figures, but rebel spokesmen have said they need at least $1.5 billion. Speaking through a translator, Frattini also spoke of a blueprint for Libya's political transformation.
Mr. FRANCO FRATTINI (Italian Foreign Minister): (through translator) To be a national assembly for the reconstruction of Libya, this has to be an all-inclusive assembly in order to trigger a constitutional process that would lead to a popular referendum in the build up to parliamentary and presidential elections.
POGGIOLI: The process should begin, he said, with municipal elections to be held as soon as possible in opposition-held territories to demonstrate the rebel's ability to govern themselves democratically.
With public opinion in many participating countries increasingly opposed to the military operation, diplomats are focusing on a possibly political solution. The idea has been floated that Moammar Gadhafi could leave Libya. But the possibility of political asylum has become more difficult.
On Wednesday, the international criminal court prosecutor announced he would seek three arrest warrants for crimes against humanity in Libya. He did not name the suspects, but whoever they are, it would be hard for any country to ignore those arrest warrants.
Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.
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