LIBYA: Senior Republican Senator John McCain is among a U.S. delegation meeting Libya's new interim leaders

Record ID: 857932

  • Title: LIBYA: Senior Republican Senator John McCain is among a U.S. delegation meeting Libya's new interim leaders
  • Date: 30th September 2011
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIORS OF ISLAMIC CALL SOCIETY VEHICLE CARRYING U.S. DELEGATION OUTSIDE ISLAMIC CALL SOCIETY DELEGATION MEETING NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL (NTC) LEADER MOUSTAFA JALIL / SHAKING HANDS WITH JALIL U.S. SENATORS LINDSAY GRAHAM, MARK KIRK AND MARCO RUBIO (LEFT TO RIGHT) MEETING JALIL ARMED SECURITY WEARING FATIGUES INSIDE
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • City:
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABHI1PWTPL52L5TQJTRNU7SWUH
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Four U.S. Republican senators arrived in Tripoli on Thursday (September 29) to meet Libya's new interim leadership.
    Senators John McCain of Arizona, Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio and Mark Kirk of Illinois attended meetings with the head of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdel Jalil and the head of its chief executive committee Mahmoud Jibril before visiting a hospital in the Libyan capital.
    The senators are expected to hold a news conference later on Thursday.
    The visit by the four U.S. lawmakers is the highest-profile American delegation to visit the country since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from Tripoli in August.
    However, the forces that pushed the former leader from power have been bogged down by military and political struggles while Gaddafi remains on the run.
    The NTC has drawn up a road map, setting out plans for a new constitution and elections over a 20-month period, which should start once the entire country has been declared "liberated".
    But they missed a deadline earlier this month to agree a new cabinet and they have, so far, been unable to take control of the Gaddafi strongholds of Sirte and Bani Walid.
    The former rebels' executive committee, or cabinet, was dissolved last month and a new committee, to include officials responsible for defence and interior affairs, was supposed to be appointed by the chief of the executive committee Mahmoud Jibril on September 18, but talks broke down when his proposals did not receive full backing from all current members.
    Leaders from Britain, France and Turkey have all visited Libya in recent weeks, as the nation begins to rebuild under new leadership.
    The United States formally reopened its embassy in Tripoli last Thursday (September 22).
    McCain, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee with Graham, pressed U.S. President Barack Obama for military intervention in Libya ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote to authorise military action in the country to protect civilians. In April, McCain visited Benghazi, congratulating interim government forces on the ground for their efforts there.
    Rubio is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kirk serves on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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