COL MUAMMAR Gadafy’s last remaining diplomats in the United Kingdom are to be expelled, but the British government has offered to hand over just £91 million of the £12 billion worth of Libyan assets held in the UK.
The decision to expel the last eight diplomats at the London embassy was made by foreign secretary William Hague. He said: “We no longer recognise them as the representatives of the Libyan government.”
Libya’s ambassador and four other diplomats were expelled in March after the British embassy in Tripoli was attacked, while two more were removed in May, leaving the charge d’affaires, Khaled Benshaban, in charge.
The Benghazi-based National Transitional Council (NTC), leading the opposition to Gadafy, has been offered the opportunity to send representatives to London: “We are saying for the first time that we are dealing with the NTC as the sole governmental authority,” said Mr Hague.
The NTC, he said, has shown a commitment “to a more open and democratic Libya” and has become the focal point for those in Libya who want a better future for the country, free of Gadafy’s rule.
Despite doubts about the UK’s military involvement in efforts to oust the Libyan leader, Mr Hague insisted the country “will sustain our actions for as long as is necessary” – citing deployment of an extra RAF Tornado as evidence.
He said the British government will deal with the NTC “on the same basis as other governments around the world”.
The UK will immediately free up £91 million in assets held by the Arabian-Gulf Oil Company (Agogo), controlled from Benghazi, though the money cannot be used to purchase weaponry.
“We are assured that [Agogo’s] activities will not benefit any listed entity under the sanctions. We will issue licences for the use of its frozen funds to meet basic needs in Libya,” said Mr Hague.
The UK would “continue to explore” how other UK-based Libyan assets could be unfrozen, including £160 million in Libyan banknotes seized en route from a London printer to Tripoli.
However, major changes are unlikely quickly, since the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, blocked previous efforts to fund the opposition with UK-based Libyan assets on the grounds the UK maintained diplomatic relations with Tripoli. Now, the UK is offering “political recognition” – shy of the legal recognition usually awarded to other states – while Mr Grieve can also be expected to rule out freeing up money for arms as this would put the UK in conflict with the UN.
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Rebel forces in the besieged Libyan city of Misrata have announced the rescue from behind enemy lines of 105 civilians kidnapped by pro-Gadafy forces.
Commanders said the rescue of families on Sunday was planned with Nato. The captives were seized in the Ghiran district while fierce fighting raged in the city.
The breakthrough came when one of the kidnapped men who had spent time with the Halbus brigade (one of the rebel groups), remembered the satellite phone number of a commander. A phone was obtained and the number dialled and answered by a surprised Halbus brigade soldier.
The brigade– armed with tanks, artillery and trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns – immediately devised a rescue plan.At dawn on Sunday morning, the raiding force drove through a lightly defended part of the front line. At 9am, the Halbus units met the refugees, filmed the encounter, and then pulled back to the Misrata front line.– ( Guardianservice)
