UK seizes ship carrying $160M of Libyan currency

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

UK seizes ship carrying $160M of Libyan currency
Associated Press, 03.04.11, 07:24 AM EST

LONDON -- A British government official says a ship carrying about $160 million worth of Libyan currency has been impounded after unsuccessfully trying to dock in Tripoli.

The official said Friday that the ship returned to Britain and was escorted by a Border Agency cutter to the port of Harwich in eastern England.

A number of containers full of currency have been moved from the ship to a secure location.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on the record.



Read more: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/04/general-materials-eu-britain-libya_8338499.html

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UK extends Libyan asset freeze, seizes currency


* UK authorities extend freeze to Gaddafi entourage

* Ship carrying Libyan currency impounded


LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - Britain extended a freeze on assets to a further 20 members of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's entourage on Friday and has impounded around 100 million pounds ($163 million) of Libyan currency.

Around 2 billion pounds of assets belonging to Libyan interests are believed to have been frozen under sanctions against Gaddafi's government after its violent crackdown on protests against Gaddafi's 41-year rule.

The asset freeze was imposed last week and initially applied only to Gaddafi and his immediate family. It nows extends to 26 people.

more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/04/libya-britain-idUSLDE72310E20110304

[Turborama]

1. K&R Any news on who was travelling with it and where its intended destination was? n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

2. could it be a downpayment to arm the rebels? n/t

[Turborama]

3. Or Gadaffi trying to buy some of the weapons back from the IRA? n/t

[dipsydoodle]

4. Purchased using funds

donated by the US Irish.

The US didn't classify the IRA as being a terrorist organisation until post 9/11.

[Turborama]

7. Actually, the arms from Libya were 'donated' to the IRA & weapons from America were bought...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_IRA_arms_importation

I didn't know the US didn't classify them as a terrorist org. until then. Have you got a link/more details?

[dipsydoodle]

8. This pre-dates that

to May of that year : http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/us-declares-real-ira-a-terrorist-group-12819.html but I don't recall any emphasis until post 9/11.

off topic - what a stupid fucking name for something : 9/11. The more significant event , in terms of subsequent deaths in 1973 , is never referred to in such a way.

[AlphaCentauri]

5. Senator: Army could train Libyan opposition in anti-aircraft defense

If the U.S. military is hesitant to enact a no-fly zone over Libya, the Army is capable of giving the opposition the capacity to use anti-aircraft defenses themselves, Sen. Joe Lieberman suggested Thursday.

Lieberman, I-Connecticut, raised the idea to Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chief of staff of the Army, who was testifying at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing regarding his renomination.

Dempsey told Lieberman the Army does have the expertise to train in air defense and had done so with militaries around the world.

Lieberman has been a vocal supporter of enacting a no-fly zone above Libya and arming the opposition. The country has seen weeks of protests, with demonstrators calling for the ouster of rule Moammar Gadhafi, who has responded in some cases by having forces fire on protesters and ordering military planes to bomb opposition-held areas.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/03/libya.no.fly.zone/

[Turborama]

6. My reply was a joke.

Judging by your response, yours wasn't?

And his buddy, John McCain has been saying the same thing...

Gates argued Wednesday that a no-fly zone isn't a simple proposition -- a lot of equipment must be positioned, and such an operation has to begin with an attack to disable Libya's air defense. The idea should be approached with caution, he warned.

Another proponent of the no-fly zone, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, seemed to be trying to poke holes in that argument in questioning Gen. Dempsey at the Senate hearing, suggesting in his questions that attacking air defenses is something the United States has done before. McCain asked Dempsey if the U.S. took out air defenses in Iraq when a no-fly zone was imposed there. Dempsey said the U.S. had done so.

=snip=

McCain seemed to take offense at Gates' comment Wednesday that there has been a lot of "loose talk" about military options, including the no-fly zone.

"May I just say personally, I don't think it's loose talk on the part of the people on the ground in Libya, nor the Arab League nor others, including the prime minister of England, that this option should be given the strongest consideration," McCain said. He continued to press the idea of a no-fly zone.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/03/libya.no.fly.zone/

[formercia]

9. Perhaps we could give them Stinger SAMs....

Ah, wait....not such a good idea....