Germany and Canada Recognize Libyan Rebel Government

On Monday, Germany officially recognized the opposition National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya. The recognition came as Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was visiting Benghazi yesterday. He said that the TNC “is the legitimate representation of the Libyan people,” and that Germany wants to work with the council “to support the building of a democratic and law-abiding Libya.”

While Germany refused to join the NATO mission, last week Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière conveyed that Germany would consider providing troops to an EU mission protecting reconstruction and humanitarian efforts. And during her visit to Washington, Chancellor Angela Merkel committed to contributing to reconstruction.

UPDATE: Today, Canada has also recognized the TNC as the “legitimate representative” of the Libyan people. However, the Canadian Press notes that this move is “a step short of recognizing them as the legitimate government of Libya – just as four European nations have already.”