U.S. rightly backing Libyan rebels

Call it recognizing reality.

On Friday, Washington officially acknowledged the Libyan rebel leadership as that nation's legitimate government, joining more than 30 countries in extending diplomatic recognition to the so-called Transitional National Council. The United States and its NATO allies have been conducting an air war since March to oust Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi on behalf of the council, so obviously governments in this country and in Europe have regarded it as legitimate for quite a while now.

But making recognition official offers some advantages. It further delegitimizes the tyrannical Gadhafi regime, which is deservedly held in contempt by much of the world. And it allows some of Libya's billions in frozen overseas assets to be given to the rebels, who can use the money to pay for arms or organize relief efforts for civilians. Recognition may also signal that the world is ready to help Arab Spring democracy activists elsewhere in the region move beyond protests to governing.

On the other hand, extending diplomatic recognition ties us ever more firmly to the Libyan rebels, who were criticized only recently by Human Rights Watch for allegedly burning homes, looting, and beating some Gadhafi supporters. Perhaps international recognition will encourage the rebels to restrain themselves, no matter how justifiable their anger at their enemies.

The U.S. announcement came at an international meeting in Turkey at which Western officials vowed to increase the military pressure on Gadhafi to give up power. Fortunately, there is still no talk of introducing U.S. troops. The plan instead is for a more powerful air campaign, which is certainly worth a try.

Although airstrikes haven't ousted Gadhafi, they've probably prevented a massacre of civilians by his forces, who were on the verge of victory until NATO intervened. There is also talk of a negotiated settlement that allows Gadhafi to remain in the country, although this sounds far-fetched given the tyrant's public avowals to fight to the bitter end. Government forces in Syria, meanwhile, continue to murder protesters with impunity, raising concerns about why so much effort is being expended on Libya and so little there.

At the very least, toppling Gadhafi may give heart to beleaguered opponents of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Given all this, it made sense to recognize the rebels. It's impossible not to be uneasy about them or the entire NATO effort in Libya. But having come this far, Western governments had no reason not to take the next step.