LIBYA: Libya's navy dispatches boats to Es Sider port to stop a North Korean-flagged tanker from leaving with crude sold without permission, officials say

Record ID: 344409

  • Title: LIBYA: Libya's navy dispatches boats to Es Sider port to stop a North Korean-flagged tanker from leaving with crude sold without permission, officials say
  • Date: 9th March 2014
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (MARCH 9, 2014) (REUTERS) LIBYAN MINISTER OF CULTURE, HABIB AL-AMIN, AT NEWS CONFERENCE LIBYAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN MINISTER OF CULTURE AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, HABIB AL-AMIN, SAYING: "Orders were given and all efforts are being undertaken to stop and seize the tanker, if necessary by a strike if it does not follow orders." DECORATIVE ITEMS ON STANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN MINISTER OF CULTURE AND GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN HABIB AL-AMIN SAYING: "Several navy boats have been dispatched, now the tanker's movements are under complete control and nobody can move it, the tanker will stay where it is" CAMERAMAN FILMING END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC3DYO5UAQLQBDDW2V99U8KIB9
  • Story Text: Libya's navy and pro-government militias have dispatched boats to a port held by armed protesters to stop a North Korean-flagged tanker from leaving with crude sold without government permission, officials said on Sunday (March 9).
    The tanker docked on Saturday at the eastern terminal of Es Sider, one of three ports seized by rebels since August to press demands for autonomy and a bigger share of oil revenue. Local daily al-Wasat said the ship had loaded $36 million of crude.
    The rebel oil sale illustrates the deepening turmoil in the OPEC producer, which has failed to rein in fighters who helped oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but who now defy state authority.
    Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said on Saturday (March 8) the military would bomb the 37,000-tonne Morning Glory if it tried to leave the port, one of Libya's biggest oil terminals - a threat repeated on Sunday by Culture Minister and government spokesman Habib al-Amin.

    "Orders were given and all efforts are undertaken to stop and seize the tanker, if necessary by a strike if it does not follow orders," he said.
    There was no sign of any immediate military action. But the navy and allied militias have sent several boats to stop the tanker from leaving, officials said
    "Several navy boats have been dispatched, now the tanker's movements are under complete control and nobody can move it, the tanker will stay where it is," said Habib al-Amin.
    Libya has been trying to rebuild its army since Gaddafi's overthrow, but analysts say it is not yet a match for battle-hardened militias that fought in the eight-month uprising.
    There was no immediate reaction from the protest movement made up of thousands of former state oil guards led by Ibrahim Jathran, who fought Gaddafi troops in 2011 in the east.
    Spokesmen for the state-run National Oil Corp (NOC) and for the protesters said the tanker was still docked at the port.
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