The European Union is hitting the regime of Moammar Qadhafi with more financial sanctions just as France says it is recognizing the Libyan opposition’s Interim Governing Council and plans to exchange ambassadors with it.
The EU extended its financial sanctions, adding five financial institutions whose assets and resources will be frozen to a list of more than two dozen individuals close to the Libyan leader.
France became the first country to recognize the opposition group. President Nicolas Sarkozy met with two representatives of the transition council, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, which was taken over by rebels in a deadly uprising against Col. Qadhafi.
