Libya’s National Congress has today issued a statement condemning a weekend operation by US troops on the streets of the capital city of Tripoli, demanding the immediate return of Abu Anas al-Liby and giving him access to a lawyer.
At appears to be entirely optional from the perspective of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, who says that Libyans have a right to be tried at home for alleged crimes, but that the US operation won’t do anything to damage relations with the US.
Officials have summoned the US ambassador over the matter to make clear their displeasure, but that might well be the beginning and end of it from their government’s perspective, despite an admission that the US conducted the raid without contacting them about a possible extradition.
The assorted calls for clarification, for release, or even just for letting the captive Liby speak to his family are all unlikely with the Obama Administration apparently just planning to leave him in international waters until the heat dies down, and expecting the problem to simply go away over time.
