Clinton in Libya to Extend U.S. Help on Economy, Security
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Tripoli today to extend U.S. support for Libyan attempts to restore security, build a democracy and revive the economy following the uprising that deposed Moammar Gadhafi.
“Now the hard part begins,” Clinton said after meeting senior officials from the interim National Transitional Council to offer help with securing missing weapons, encourage the development of non-oil industries and provide veterans of the conflict with medical care and education. She is the most senior U.S. official to visit Libya since the revolt that dislodged Gadhafi after 42 years in power.
The unannounced visit comes four days after gun battles in Tripoli between anti-Qaddafi fighters and his loyalists, in the worst violence in the capital since the NTC took charge in late August. An ongoing struggle for Qaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Tripoli, has delayed preparations for a democratic transition and raised fears of prolonged resistance and disunity.
NTC officials “shared with me their plans for establishing an inclusive democracy in Libya,” Clinton told reporters after meeting officials including Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil, Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril and Finance and Oil Minister Ali Tarhouni. “We agreed that the Libyan people deserve a nation governed by the rule of law, not the whims of man.”
Democratic TransitionClinton said she pressed the officials on the need to stand by their commitments to democracy. Libya#146;s interim ruling council has proposed holding elections for a 200-member national congress eight months after the end of hostilities. The congress would draft a constitution, setting the stage for multiparty elections.
Clinton said the U.S. was pledging as much as $10 million in additional aid to help locate and disable weapons and munitions unaccounted for since the conflict began in February. The U.S. has expressed concern that shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles may become available to terrorist groups on the black market. The State Department says surface-to-air missiles have been used in more than 40 attacks against passenger jets around the world since the 1970s. The U.S. estimates Gadhafi acquired some 20,000 of these weapons over the past 40 years.
#147;We#146;re very concerned about the threat that#146;s posed,#148; the U.S. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, Andrew Shapiro, said Oct. 14 in Brussels.
Missile SearchA State Department weapons specialist and 14 contractors, many with military experience, are on the ground assisting Libyan teams, and have helped search 20 of 36 known weapons depots and disabled hundreds of missiles, State Department officials said. The U.S. plans to increase the number of advisers from 14 to 50, officials said.
U.S. officials said Clinton would raise concerns about former Gadhafi intelligence officer Abdel Basset Al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people in 1988. Scottish authorities allowed Al-Megrahi to return to Libya in 2009 on compassionate medical grounds.
Clinton said it was a priority to merge the various forces that had risen up against Gadhafi into a single militia. The former rebels needed to build a #147;just Libya that turns to accountability and reconciliation, not revenge and score- settling in places like Sirte and Bani Walid,#148; she said.
Economic PrioritiesClinton said she also discussed the economy with leaders of the ruling council, who have told their U.S. counterparts they want to broaden Libya#146;s economic base and eliminate the cronyism that characterized the oil industry under Gadhafi, a U.S. official told reporters traveling with the entourage. The transitional leadership has pledged to honor all Qaddafi-era oil contracts.
Libyans #147;deserve an economy that delivers jobs, dignity and opportunities to all, not just to the powerful and connected,#148; Clinton said. While #147;Libya is blessed with wealth and resources,#148; there was a pressing need for international expertise and technical assistance, she said.
Libya#146;s economy was state-run under Gadhafi, and transitional leaders believe privatizing state monopolies may boost economic diversity and growth, Clinton said. She also pledged to meet the council#146;s request for medical assistance for veterans of the conflict. There are some 15,000 wounded, including 1,500 amputees, according to United Nations estimates.
Clinton will announce a public-private U.S. initiative to provide spare parts and chemicals for Libyan medical equipment, transportation to U.S. hospitals for the most seriously wounded, and assistance in creating a computerized medical records system to track patient care, State Department officials said. To date, the U.S. has provided more than $135 million in assistance to Libyan civilians and the rebel council, according to State Department figures.