Qatar became the first Arab country on Monday to recognise Libya's rebels as the people's sole legitimate representative, in a move that may presage similar moves from other Gulf states. Word of the decision came a day after a senior Libyan rebel official said Qatar had agreed to market crude oil produced from east Libyan fields no longer under the control of leader Muammar Gaddafi.
"This recognition comes from a conviction that the council has become, practically, a representative of Libya and its brotherly people," the Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a Foreign Ministry official.
Explaining Qatar's decision, the official said the rebel council included representatives of different regions and had acceptance among the Libyan people. Energy-rich Qatar was the first Arab country to join in patrols in the UN-backed no-fly zone over Libya last Friday. Doha-based news channel Al Jazeera has covered the revolt and several of its crew were kidnapped earlier this month and another was killed in an ambush.
Meanwhile, the United States on Monday gave a green light to sales of Libyan crude oil from rebel-held territory, giving a potential boost to forces battling Muammar Gaddafi. A US Treasury Department official said that since Libyan rebels are not subject to sanctions against Gaddafi, they can sell oil under their control after retaking a number of oil fields and terminals in eastern Libya over the weekend.
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