US tightens Libya sanctions as key senators back Obama

US tightens Libya sanctions as key senators back Obama

The United States has reiterated the need to tighten up the financial sanctions it imposed on the Libyan government as two influential senators pushed back against calls to halt funding for American involvement in NATO operations.

Military intervention

Senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced a measure to formally authorize the US military intervention in Libya for up to one year, and warned against critics who want Congress to act to stop US involvement.

“A senate vote would send a message that Washington was committed to the conflict and would not abandon allies who are leading it,” Kerry said. 
“Pulling the plug would doom the Libyan operation and undermine the very core of NATO,” he warned.

Kerry and McCain were responding to criticism from some lawmakers in both parties that US involvement in the NATO attacks, mainly confined to logistical support and intelligence was illegal because it has not been endorsed by a vote in Congress.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

Kerry, a Democrat, and McCain, a Republican nominee for president in 2008, argued against efforts in the House of Representatives to cut off funds for US engagement. 
“This would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” Kerry said on the Senate floor.

Anti-war democrat Dennis Kucinich planned to propose an amendment, halting funds for the Libyan war when a defense spending bill came to the floor of the house later this week.

House Speaker, John Boehner's office said that members of the Republican House majority are debating whether to take other votes on the Libyan mission.

The Republicans will be discussing whether to hold votes on two resolutions on Libya later this week.  One vote would remove US forces from Libya, except those involved in "non-hostile" actions such as search and rescue, intelligence and aerial re-fuelling.

The other proposal under discussion would authorize the use of force in Libya as Kerry and McCain's proposal would do, the office said. Boehner has harshly criticized Obama's handling of Libya, and scoffs at Obama's argument that the operations do not amount to "hostilities." 

However, Boehner has not explicitly endorsed cutting off funds for the operation, and he said in a statement that: "we have no desire to damage the NATO alliance."

Sanctions

The US Treasury Department said it was blacklisting nine companies owned or controlled by Muammar Gaddafi's government. The department said the sanctions would prohibit US transactions with the nine companies, including the Arab Turkish Bank, Tunisia-based North Africa International Bank and Lebanon-based North Africa Commercial Bank.

In an attempt to persuade other officials in Gaddafi to defect, the United States, earlier this year, lifted sanctions against former Libyan Foreign Minister, Moussa Koussa, who fled to Britain on March 30.

It also removed sanctions against former Oil Minister, Shukri Mohammed Ghanem because he defected from Gaddafi's government in May.   

REUTERS/Shakira/Ekata