Italian FM in First Visit to Post-Qaddafi Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Italy's foreign minister, in his first visit to Libya since Muammar Qaddafi's fall, says his country is ready to unfreeze $3.4 billion in frozen Libyan assets.

Franco Frattini said Friday that Italy has authorization to release the money as requested for urgent projects to help Libya's new rulers rebuild their country despite continued fighting with supporters of the fugitive leader on three fronts.

Frattini is the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries to travel to Libya after revolutionary forces seized Tripoli and much of the rest of the country late last month.

On Thursday, U.S. Sen. John McCain and three other Republican senators traveled to Tripoli. The British, French and Turkish leaders also have visited.