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Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- "A force" has been mobilized by the Libyan government to "seize" a North Korean-flagged ship that's been docked for days in a rebel-held port, despite a threat by Libya's leader that it might be bombed. Two Libyan ministers told ...
Libyan 'force' goes after threatened oil tanker in rebel-held port
updated 5:28 PM EDT, Sun March 9, 2014
Meet the militiaman holding Libya's oil
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: A U.S. official says the illicit loading oil "amounts to theft from the Libyan people"
- Ministers: "Force" is tasked with dealing with a North Korean-flagged ship at rebel-held port
- Naval officers, "revolutionaries" have OK to "stop, seize or even strike" ship, minister says
- Libya hasn't been able to profit from its immense oil resources due to instability
Two Libyan ministers told
reporters Sunday that the "force" consists of "qualified" naval
officers and "revolutionaries," or former rebels now being paid by the
government.
It has authorization "to
stop, seize or even strike (the oil tanker) with force if it does not
comply with the orders issued for it," said Culture Minister Habibi
al-Amin.
Foreigners found dead on Libyan beach
"The aim is to receive
this tanker, according to the law, without causing any casualties or
damage," said Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani, calling on those
involved to surrender. "We hope this happens."
The vessel, dubbed Morning Glory, docked late Friday night in the oil port of As-Sidra.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan
said Saturday that the ship's captain subsequently was warned by phone
to comply with government orders or face the consequences. The captain
responded that local militia onboard did not allow them to depart.
Zeidan threatened to bomb
the oil tanker if it didn't comply with Libya's request. On Sunday,
al-Amin echoed the prime minister's concerns that a bombing could cause a
large oil spill and said the "force" focused on the issue "realizes the
sensitivity of the situation and the risks."
"They are dealing with
(this) in kind of a surgical method," said the cultural minister, noting
that one option may be to lead the tanker to an area where more Libyan
government forces can safely seize it.
The U.S. State Department
weighed in Sunday, with spokeswoman Jen Psaki expressing concern about
Morning Glory "loading a cargo of illicitly obtained oil."
"This action is counter to law and amounts to theft from the Libyan people," Psaki said.
The situation speaks to
the unsettled situation in the North African nation, which the
government is struggling to control more than two years after the ouster
of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
In this case, the issue
centers around the oil-rich eastern part of the country and one man in
particular, Ibrahim Jadran. The militia leader was entrusted by the
government to safeguard crucial oil ports. But last July, Jadran and his
men seized them, blocking oil exports, and demanded more autonomy and
shared revenues for his eastern region.
"We used to be part of
that government until the corruption became so visible, and the
government started to sell oil without measuring units, and after we
became certain that such a government is not credible and unable to
rebuild the state," Jadran, 32, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in
January. "That's why we declared independence of our province and we
started to seek our fair rights."
There is a lot at stake,
given the Libyan government's precarious state and the wealth of
natural resources in the country. Libya is thought to have Africa's
largest proven oil reserves. The country produced 1.6 million barrels
per day after the revolution only to have that output slow to a relative
trickle of fewer than 200,000 barrels per day by the end of last year.
The government has said
the disrupted oil production, from the seizures of ports as well as
protests and strikes at other oil facilities, is costing the country
$130 million a day.
The oil at the center of
the current As-Sidra situation belongs to Libya's National Oil
Corporation and its partners, which Psaki from the State Department
notes includes U.S. companies.
"Any oil sales without
authorization from these parties places purchasers at risk of exposure
to civil liability, penalties and other possible sanctions," Psaki said.
The threat of force
against the North Korean-flagged vessel isn't the first time Libya's
government has threatened force against ships that enter the eastern oil
ports.
On several occasions, authorities have issued ultimatums to such ships, only to have those deadlines come and go with no action.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reported from Libya
and CNN's Greg Botelho reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Jamie
Crawford contributed to this report.
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