Several states recognize Libya's NTC

Representatives of countries involved in the NATO-led war in Libya have decided to recognize the Libyan opposition as the legitimate authority of the country. More than 30 countries attending the so-called Libya Contact Group meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, have agreed to recognize the National Transitional Council (NTC). "Gaddafi regime no longer has any legitimate authority in Libya," the group said in a statement. The recognition will be officially announced when the final document is released later in the day. The Contact Group meeting was aimed at putting more pressure on embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step aside. Officials from 40 countries -- including regional nations attended as well as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen -- attended the meeting. The meeting comes in the wake of contacts between France and members of the Gaddafi regime, which have raised the possibility of a negotiated exit for Gaddafi. Libya has been the scene of intense fighting between government troops and revolutionary forces since mid-February. The deadly conflict has left thousands of people dead and wounded. Tripoli and some western provinces remain under Gaddafi's control while the revolutionaries hold Benghazi, most of the east and several western cities. Revolutionary forces want an end to Gaddafi's decades-long rule. NATO has recently intensified its attacks on Libya in an alleged attempt to increase pressure on Gaddafi.