Daily Mail, London, Ruth Sunderland column.(Column)

Byline: Ruth Sunderland

Aug. 25--The economy will not be at the forefront of the minds of the rebel fighters who stormed Colonel Gaddafi's lair, but it will be one of the keys to Libya's hopes for future stability.

The conflict has caused damage -- around $15bn worth according to an estimate from former Libyan central bank governor Farhat Bengdara, who defected from the fallen regime earlier this year.

But Libya is a rich country, with the largest oil reserves in Africa, and a vast pool of assets abroad, much of it frozen.

The thaw is beginning: the National Transitional Council wants countries including the UK to release $2.5bn of frozen Libyan assets so they can consolidate their control over the …