Rebels establish provisional gov't

Benghazi (AP):

A member of the Benghazi city council says the Libyan cities under rebel control have appointed an ex-justice minister to lead a provisional government.

Fathi Baja says opponents of Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi named Mustafa Abdel-Jalil to the provisional leadership post.

Baja said yesterday that Abdel-Jalil was chosen by the committees running the eastern Libyan cities now in the rebellion's hands.

Last Saturday, Libya's top envoy to the United States also said Gadhafi opponents were rallying behind efforts to form an alternative government led by Abdel-Jalil, who has criticised Gaddafi's brutal crackdown on protesters.

It was not immediately clear how much support the proposed provisional leadership commands.

The uprising against Gaddafi began in Benghazi on February 15. The rebels now control most of the eastern half of the country.