WASHINGTON: A group of US senators demanded to open a US embassy in Benghazi, the capital of rebel-held Libya while they meet President Obama according to media reports.
The move comes after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Istanbul announced that Washington recognized Libya’s Transitional National Council (TNC) as the country’s de facto government.
Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Independent Joe Lieberman welcomed the move, saying it “demonstrates America’s commitment to support the Libyan people as they fight to liberate their country from the Qadhafi regime and establish democracy.”
In a statement, the senators urged the Obama administration “to increase our diplomatic presence in Benghazi, designate a US ambassador to the TNC, and give the TNC’s representatives in Washington and New York full diplomatic rights and privileges.”
