السبت، 26 يناير 2013

Western citizens told to leave #Benghazi

Britain, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands urged their citizens to immediately leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday, warning of an imminent threat against Westerners days after a deadly hostage crisis in neighbouring Algeria.
European officials told the Associated Press that schools were among the potential targets.
The warnings came a day after United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified to Congress about the September 11 attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya. They also came as French troops battled al-Qaeda-linked militants in the West African nation of Mali, and followed the deaths of at least 37 foreign hostages seized by Islamist extremists in Algeria.
It was not clear if those two events were linked to the latest concerns about Libya.
The foreign ministries of the three European countries issued statements describing the threat as specific and imminent but none would elaborate.
The US Embassy in Tripoli, Libya's capital far to the west of Benghazi, said there was "no specific information pointing to specific, imminent threats against US citizens"
With a population of 1 million, Benghazi is Libya's second-largest city. It is where the Libyan uprising against long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi began in February 2011. Gaddafi was eventually toppled and killed after Nato backed the rebel movement, and the country has since struggled with increasing insecurity.
Al-Qaeda-linked militants operate in Libya alongside other Islamist groups, and the country is awash in weapons looted from Gaddafi's many military depots.
Schools, businesses and offices of non-governmental organisations are among the possible targets, according to two European officials familiar with the threats.
Violence in Benghazi has been aimed at foreigners as well as Libyan officials in recent months, with assassinations, bombings and other attacks.
It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the European warnings. Britain's Foreign Office said "dozens" of its citizens were in the city, while Dutch spokesman Thijs van Son said four Dutch citizens were registered there, and possibly two more were in the city.
A German Foreign Ministry official, who requested anonymity, said "very few" Germans were in Benghazi.
A Canadian Foreign Affairs official said an email was sent to Canadians there advising them to leave.
- AP

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