Libya said it had demanded an explanation from Washington on Sunday for the "kidnap" of a citizen in an unauthorised commando raid on its territory that netted a top Al Qaeda suspect."The Libyan government has been following the reports of the kidnap of one of the Libyan citizens wanted by the authorities in the United States," a government statement said. "As soon as it heard the reports, the Libyan government contacted the US authorities to demand an explanation."
The government underlined its "desire to see Libyan citizens tried in their own country, whatever the accusations levelled against them."
It recalled that Libya and the United States were bound by a "strategic partnership," that dealt with security and defence matters in particular.
"The government hopes that this strategic partnership will not be damaged by this incident," it said.
| Translation: the Libyans really don't care that we nabbed Abu Anas, they'd just prefer that we did it more quietly... |
| That's a smart way to do it: make it look like he was grabbed by a rival group of Islamicist crazies... |
"As the result of a US counterterrorism operation, Abu Anas Al Liby is currently lawfully detained by the US military in a secure location outside of Libya," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.
| Ice Station Zebra sounds appropriate... |