The rebels certainly have NATO’s support for this claim, but their ability to unite Libya is something else entirely. They managed to get some support in the east, piggybacking on pro-democracy rallies, but after an ugly civil war, the eastern-dominated government isn’t likely to sit well in western cities, particularly in a nation where politics center so strongly around local allegiances.
The African Union’s position could complicate Western efforts to release frozen Gadhafi assets to the rebel force as well, with South Africa already pushing to keep the funding aimed at NGOs instead of the would-be government.