The U.S. government has frozen $30 billion in Libyan assets, and would like to divert some of that money to the rebels. Today’s decision to formally recognize the TNC as the legitimate government of Libya will make it much easier to do so. But the American diplomat I spoke to noted that political recognition is not the same as legal recognition; the TNC may not qualify as a recognizable government according to State Department criteria [bold mine-DL]. What’s more, even legal recognition might not, by itself, permit the assets to be unfrozen. “We’re really grappling with it right now,” he says. ~James Traub

If the TNC doesn’t meet State Department criteria to be considered a recognizable government, and if legal recognition is not forthcoming because of that, what exactly was the point of extending recognition to the council?