Libya applauds Obama for renewing sanctions on Gadhafi loyalists

Libya's ambassador to the United States said Thursday that he's pleased with President Obama's decision to renew sanctions on the family and associates of former dictator Moamar Gadhafi.

“We are pleased that the U.S. Government has decided to extend Executive Order 13566, which will keep in place U.S. sanctions against members and associates of the former regime of Colonel Gadhafii,” Ambassador Ali Aujali told The Hill in a statement. “As it transitions to democracy, Libya is working closely with the U.S. and other governments around the world to protect assets that were misappropriated by the former regime and to ensure these funds are returned to Libya for the benefit of the Libyan people.”

Obama announced Wednesday that he was renewing for a year the state of emergency his 2011 declaration of emergency with regard to Libya. Despite democratic elections in the country, Obama told Congress that the situation in Libya “continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and we need to protect against this threat and the diversion of assets or other abuse by certain members of Gadhafi's family and other former regime officials.”

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