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Washington is maintaining for a further year, the emergency power to impose sanctions on Libya, because of the threat to US . . .[restrict]interests from the Qaddafi family and former members of the regime.
Writing to congressional leaders, President Barack Obama explained: “We are in the process of winding down the sanctions in response to the many positive developments in Libya, including the fall of Qaddafi and his government.”
The president continued: “We are working closely with the new Libyan government and with the international community to effectively and appropriately ease restrictions on sanctioned entities.
“However, the situation in Libya continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
“We need to protect against this threat and the diversion of assets or other abuse by certain members of Qaddafi’s family and other former regime officials,” he said.
Last week, the US government used its powers under the emergency regulations to impose sanctions on a Libyan, Humayd Abd-al-Salam accusing him of supporting Saadi Qaddafi’s counter-revolutionary efforts from his exile in Niger.
Last December, the United States and the United Nations Security Council lifted most of the sanctions imposed on Libya under Qaddafi’s rule. As a result, reported the US Treasury, more than $30 billion of Libyan assets were released.
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