Nations talk funding for Libya rebels

ROME, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday the international community was lining up financial commitments to assist a new government in Libya.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Clinton and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said a meeting in Washington of the Contact Group on Libya would be discussing how the world could best help Libyan rebels seeking to establish a new government.

"Individual nations have certainly made their contributions," Clinton said. "The United Nations, which will be represented here, is working very hard on the humanitarian relief side. I think that we have made a number of important commitments."

"Clearly on our agenda is looking for the most effective ways to deliver financial assistance and other means of supporting and helping the opposition," she said.

Clinton has expressed support for the idea of using frozen Libyan government assets to help the opposition maintain a functioning government and an effective fighting force, The Washington Post said.

Frattini, a co-chairman of Thursday's meeting, said the international community would also continue putting political pressure on Tripoli to convince Moammar Gadhafi to resign as quickly as possible and end his military campaign against anti-government groups.