Italy urges recognition of Libyan rebels

ROME, April 19 (UPI) -- Italy's foreign minister said Tuesday more nations should follow his country's lead in recognizing the anti-Gadhafi Libyan National Council.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini made the comment following talks in Rome with the council's leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Frattini said the Libyan National Council "wants to go from a Libya where you get power sitting on a tank to a Libya where you get power through the vote."

"That's what we expected and why we are convinced we were right when we recognized the CNT," he said.

According to Frattini, the CNT estimates that Gadhafi loyalists have killed 10,000 people and wounded another 55,000 since the start of the rebel uprising in February.

"The NATO air strikes are not enough to protect them," he added.