Tripoli, 2 November 2013:
A long-standing ban on Libyans going to the US to train in areas of nuclear science or to . . .[restrict]work in aviation maintenance and flight operations could be lifted, according to a US congressman.
Jason Chaffetz has revealed that the proposal is being circulated inside the Department for Homeland Security as a draft document. The regulation, he said, could be put into place without prior notice.
The 30-year ban on these training and work areas for Libyans was put in place in the 1980s. The move followed a number of terrorist incidents believed to have been financially-backed by Libya or to have involved Libyans.
“The Administration justifies lifting this ban by claiming that the US relationship with Libya has been ‘normalised,’” said Chaffetz. He has slammed the proposal as “ignoring looming terrorist threats” in a country which, he said, had “become a hotbed of terrorist activity.”
Chaffetz added, however, that America should work with Libya to build mutual trust that ensures safety and prosperity for both countries to enjoy. [/restrict]
