Libya tanker seized by US Navy SEALs

TRIPOLI — US Navy SEALs seize an oil tanker off Cyprus, stopping an attempt by an autonomy-minded Libyan militia to sell the shipload of crude in defiance of the Libyan government as the militia’s supporters in the east of the country vow to try to export oil again from the ports they control as tribal figures try to negotiate a resolution in the crisis between Tripoli and the east.

Some hoped that the return of the Morning Glory tanker that fuelled anger in this North African nation since it docked, loaded oil, until it escaped the Libyan naval forces, could ease up tension and give a window for peaceful resolution for months-long oil crisis that brought Libyan output from 1.4 billion barrels a day to a trickle after eastern militias seized major terminals since the summer.

The SEALs took control of the Morning Glory late Sunday while it was in international waters near Cyprus, the Pentagon said in a statement. Rear Adm. John Kirby said no one was injured in the operation, which was approved by President Barack Obama.

It said that the tanker will return to Libya under the control of sailors from the USS Stout. It was not clear which Libyan port the vessel was sailing for. North Korea says it has nothing to do with the ship.

The vessel, whose ownership remains a mystery, sparked political tension in the country after it sailed away with a cargo worth more than $30 million from the port of Al Sidra, in eastern Libya, despite government attempts to seize it. The parliament, which had a long rivalry with then-prime minister Ali Zidan, used the crisis to vote him out, saying it had underlined his weakness.

The port is among three of the country’s largest oil terminals, which since last summer have been seized by rebels who demand greater autonomy and equal distribution of oil revenues among the country’s three historic regions.

Cyprus is monitoring the tanker, which had been anchored some 18 nautical miles off its southern coastal town of Limassol when US special forces took control, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Adding that the ship was now sailing “in a westward direction” with a US Navy escort.

Libya’s interim government said in a statement Monday that the oil cargo will be unloaded when it arrives in Libya. The crew is safe and will be dealt with in accordance with international law, it added.

“The interim government thanks and appreciates all who contributed to this work... especially international partners, above all the governments of the United States and the Republic of Cyprus,” the government said in a statement, adding: “The oil is the backbone of the national economy and tampering with it... is unacceptable.”

On her Twitter account, US Ambassador to Libya Deborah K. Jones wrote: “Glad we were able to respond positively to Libya’s request for help in preventing illegal sale of its oil on stateless ship.”

Since the downfall of longtime dictator Muammar Qadhafi, Libya has struggled to rein in unruly militias, most of which stem from the rebellion that overthrew him.

The attempt to sell oil from the seized terminals was a first, a daring move made by an eastern militia led by former rebel fighter named Ibrahim Jedran, who controls the most vital terminals for the country’s so-called Oil Crescent. He is a founding member of a body known as the Cyrenaica Political Bureau, named after Libya’s eastern region, which aims to replace the state oil company and distribute revenues more equitably itself.

Bureau member Essam Al Jihani on Monday said the tanker incident had drawn international attention to the region’s cause. Speaking by telephone from Ajdabiya, close to Al Sidra port, he said his group is preparing to load a second tanker for export, although it was not possible to verify his claims.

However, the threats to bring in a new tanker came at a time Jedran’s group was holding talks with tribal elders who tried to strike a peaceful resolution for the oil crisis. According to Libya Al Ahrar TV network, Abed Rabbo Al Barassi, the head of the Cyrenaica Executive Bureau, one of the bodies set up by Jedran’s group, said that there will be no talks until the parliament withdraw its decision to form a military force to liberate the oil terminals.

The easterners have long complained of marginalisation and discrimination under 42-year Qadhafi rule. Their sense of injustice increased even after the toppling of Qadhafi when they say their city descended into violence and with little government action in protecting the city.