The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote this week on a resolution releasing frozen Libyan assets in the U.S. to the rebels trying to oust Moammar Gadhafi.
The U.S., Britain and the European Union have called for the quick release of assets to help the opposition National Transitional Council rebuild the Libyan economy, restore essential services, reform the police and the army, and pay government salaries.
"We have called a meeting today and will introduce a resolution that would unfreeze roughly $1.5 billion of Libyan assets to meet urgent humanitarian needs," Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, said Wednesday.
In London, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters "we are engaged at the United Nations and elsewhere to pave the way for the unfreezing of assets, the assets that have been frozen for five months but which ultimately belong to the Libyan people."
The head of Libya's opposition government, Mahmoud Jibril, held talks Wednesday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who promised to keep providing military support for the Libyan rebels trying to topple Moammar Gadhafi's regime.
Although the rebels claim to have taken control of most of the Libyan capital of Tripoli, skirmishes with supporters of the regime continue. Gadhafi, whose whereabouts are unknown, has said he will fight to the death.
AP
Mahmoud Jibril, the number two in the... View Full Caption
France was the first country to recognize Jibril's government and has been a key supporter of the NATO airstrike campaign against Gadhafi's forces.
Sarkozy said it would be up to the Libyan opposition government to decide when it was time for French troops to leave.
Jibril indicated the rebels still needed help, saying the fighting wasn't yet finished and calling "strange" unconfirmed reports that Gadhafi's camp was proposing a cease-fire.
But Jibril said plans for the future were already taking shape — and his government was talking to the U.N. about sending up to 200 monitors to help ensure security in Tripoli.
"The mission of protecting civilians is not over," said Jibril. "The other bigger and more fierce battle has not started yet: it is the rebuilding of Libya."
Tentative discussions have also begun on a second resolution to cover the U.N.'s mandate in Libya — which currently authorizes the NATO-led air campaign to protect civilians from attack, according to a British official, who demanded anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations.
One of the biggest questions facing the opposition government is whether they will be given access to funds frozen to punish Gadhafi's regime and cripple his response to the insurrection.
The U.S. and its allies have been trying for more than two weeks to get the Security Council committee that monitors sanctions against Libya to agree to unfreeze the assets. The decision to lift the sanctions must be unanimous.
Council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions have been private, said all 15 nations agreed except South Africa, so the U.S., Britain and France decided to introduce a resolution instead.
"We expect it to have the necessary support to pass," a U.S. diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
South Africa's U.N. ambassador was not immediately available to comment.