BRUSSELS, July 14 (UPI) -- With European lawmakers hosting delegates from Libya's rebel-backed transitional council, the U.S. secretary of state said the days are numbered for Tripoli.
Mahmoud Jibril, chairman of the rebel-backed Transitional National Council in Libya, met with European lawmakers to discuss the circumstances in the war-torn country. He called on European leaders to release the frozen assets of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi so they may be used for humanitarian assistance.
French officials reportedly have suggested Gadhafi was ready to leave after enduring more than four months of a NATO-led assault on his country. The U.N. Security Council sanctioned international military intervention in Libya to protect civilians from forces loyal to Gadhafi, who is wanted for war crimes committed against the Libyan people since February.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before leaving on an official trip to Asia that Gadhafi's days were "numbered." She added that Washington was working with its international partners, including Russia, to increase pressure on Gadhafi.
Franziska Brantner, a German member of the European Parliament, said she doubted the claims that Gadhafi was ready to leave.
"I will believe it when I see it," she said in a statement.
Turkey on Friday hosts the fourth meeting of the International Contract Group on Libya.
