Obama renews national emergency with respect to Libya

President Obama on Wednesday renewed for a year his 2011 declaration of emergency with regard to Libya.

Despite the fall of Muamar Gadhafi and democratic elections, Obama said the situation in the country still poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States. The declaration allows the administration to keep in place sanctions on members of Gadhafi's family and  former regime officials.

“We are in the process of winding down the sanctions in response to developments in Libya, including the fall of Qadhafi and his government and the establishment of a democratically elected government,” Obama said in a message to Congress. 

“We are working closely with the new Libyan government and with the international community to effectively and appropriately ease restrictions on sanctioned entities, including by taking action consistent with the U.N. Security Council's decision to lift sanctions against the Central Bank of Libya and two other entities on December 16, 2011. 

“The situation in Libya, however, 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 Qadhafi's family and other former regime officials.”

Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, died in a terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi last Sept. 11. 

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