Official: 4 U.S. military personnel detained by Libya released

Washington -- The four U.S. military personnel being held in Libyan government custody have been released, a U.S. Defense Department official said late Friday. The four were believed to be held by the ministry of the interior, the official, with knowledge of the situation, said on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately known why the American personnel were in Libyan custody. "We are seeking to further ascertain the facts and ensure their release," the official said. The four were in Libya "augmenting security at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli," the official said. American teacher killed in Libya American teacher killed in Benghazi Libyan oil held hostage? Libya teeters on brink of anarchy

A second person -- a senior U.S. official -- also told CNN that the four military personnel had been detained. That official also spoke on condition of anonymity. The news of the detentions followed an announcement by the United States last month that it was stepping up military support for Libya's fledgling security forces, who have been overwhelmed by militia violence and unrest since the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Popular sentiment against the various militias has been mounting for months in Tripoli and other parts of the country, including the eastern city of Benghazi, which has been gripped by increasing violence, including political assassinations. The chaos in Libya hit home for Americans after U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed on September 11, 2012, in an attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.

The United States has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in that attack. While U.S. authorities have filed charges in the case, no one has been arrested. A NATO air campaign helped overthrow Gadhafi two years ago, but ever since there has been widespread unrest and poor security. The detention of the four personnel also followed reports of a U.S. military operation in October that saw members of the elite Army Delta Force launch a raid in Tripoli to capture Abu Anas al Libi, an al Qaeda operative wanted for his alleged role in the deadly 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.
Libya's interim government called the capture a kidnapping and demanded an explanation from Washington about the raid.

Comments

Mario Balotelli: AC Milan reject claims the striker is about to leave

AC Milan have released a statement to deny speculation that Italy striker Mario Balotelli could leave in January. They were responding to reports in Italy that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi had decided to sell him. "AC Milan firmly and absolutely deny statements that have been attributed to the chairman about Mario Balotelli being put on the transfer list," the Serie A club's statement said . The ex-Man City striker has scored six goals in 12 league games this season. He moved to the San Siro in January for an initial fee of 22m euros (£19m). Last season he racked up 12 goals for the seven-time European champions in only 13 Serie A appearances.

Al-Jazeera demands Egypt release four journalists

Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera has demanded the release of four of its journalists seized by Egyptian police in Cairo at the weekend. They include its Cairo bureau chief Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and former BBC correspondent Peter Greste. The journalists had held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood, the interior ministry said. Al-Jazeera said it had been "subject to harassment" although not officially banned from working in Egypt. There has been a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood since the army ousted President Mohammed Morsi in July. Last week it was declared a terrorist group. In the past six months, more than 1,000 pro-Morsi protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces, and thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been arrested, including the majority of its leadership. A court will hear a case to disband the Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), on 15 February. 'Arbitrary' The four journ...

Obama in Saudi Arabia for talks overshadowed by mistrust

US President Barack Obama sought Friday to allay Riyadh’s criticism of his policies on Syria and Iran, telling the Saudi king their two countries remain in lockstep on their strategic interests. He also assured King Abdullah that the U.S. won’t accept a bad deal” with Iran, as global powers negotiate a treaty reining in Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. The president underscored how much he values this strategic relationship,” a senior U.S. official said, after Obama met for some two hours with the king on a royal estate outside Riyadh. In an interview aired on U.S. television later Friday, Obama defended his administration’s decision not to use military force in Syria, saying that the United States has its limits. The U.S. leader’s comments came in an interview taped ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia, which was angered by his eleventh-hour decision last year to pull back from strikes against the Syrian regime over its use of chemical weapons in the country’s civil wa...

INITZA.COM

Search This Blog