Officials: US forces on alert in response to Libya

May 10, 2013 @ 1:35 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) - Marines and other U.S. forces in Europe are on a heightened state of alert in response to a deteriorating security situation in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, two U.S. officials said Friday.

The alert order applies to a U.S. special operations team based in Stuttgart, Germany, as well as a Marine group of air and ground forces based in Moron, Spain, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The forces alerted in Europe are under U.S. Africa Command, which acquired the special operations team in the fall. The command did not have a similar team _ or the Marines in Spain _ available last September for possible use in response to the deadly attack on the US diplomatic facilities in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

The U.S. has a contingent of dozens of Marines at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.

The officials said there is no plan to use any of the forces under current circumstances, but a portion of the approximately 500 Marines in Spain have been notified they might be repositioned for a quicker potential response to trouble in Tripoli.

One of the missions for which Marines train is the emergency evacuation of U.S. embassy compounds.

No extra U.S. naval or air forces are being moved into the region in response to the unrest in Libya, the official said.

Hundreds of Libyan activists protested Friday in Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobrouk. They denounced the use of force by the country's unruly militias.

The protesters accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to seize power by pushing through a contentious law that would prevent officials who had served under former dictator Moammar Gadhafi from working in government.

Britain's Foreign Office said it temporarily withdrew some staff from its embassy in Tripoli in light of recent political unrest. Heavily armed militias have surrounded government buildings in Tripoli over the past month, blocking access to ministries to push the parliament to pass the Brotherhood-supported law.

On Thursday the State Department said it was advising U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Tripoli and all travel to Benghazi and other locations in Libya. It cited "ongoing instability and violence" and said the State Department's ability to provide consular services to U.S. citizens there was "extremely limited."

"The security situation in Libya remains unpredictable," the State Department travel warning said. "Sporadic episodes of civil unrest have occurred throughout the country."

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Comments (14)


  • Add A Comment

  • CH wrote...
    Sen. Lindsey Graham (R)[long-time point man for the GOP] 'believes' the administration knew within 24 hours - any proof? . . . .
    October 15, 2012 5:22 am
    I 'believe' Romney is a Fliper Flopper. I 'believe' Romny wrote off 47% of the Country. There is_ proof.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Well, according to Obama, HE new and called it terrorism immediately.
    October 25, 2012 1:39 pm
    OR............... no one was sude for 2 weeks, so blame the film. ????????

    CH, you can play your dumb 'Obama is god' schtick all you want, but Oz's failure to do ANYTHING cost us 4 good American lives.

    .

    BTW: Lindsey Graham is, if anything, the kind of Republican who can and does work with democrats - including Mr. Obama. ... But, then, your team killed off your 'blue dogs', so you must not care.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    I was correcty, AGAIN.
    October 15, 2012 8:53 am
    Let the cover-up proceed. But not to worry. They were just U.S. citizens, sacrificed by the current admin. Getting Barry re-elected it what REALLY matters.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    10-15-2012 GOP senator alleges....
    October 15, 2012 12:31 pm
    And the doofs come back with "conspiracy theory"... sheezzzeee... weak response... typical of this crew... don't engage, just demonize... I mean, really, it was only four lives thrown away by the administration... that's not too many, right? They weren't really important people either, were they? The modern American left is the very embodiment of evil.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    They don't need "proof".
    October 19, 2012 2:24 pm
    Just ask Harry Reid. The GOP is saying it, so according to the left's tactics, it MUST be true.....D.E.S.P.E.R.A.T.E.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mpgunner wrote...
    And the video story?
    October 24, 2012 1:08 pm
    It is one thing to know and not say you know (though Obama implied he did know on 60 min). But the video story had to come from somewhere, right? Now listen to Obama scolding Mitt during the 2nd debate "to imply any of us know" - WOW - BIG LIE!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    TWO HOURS?!?!?!
    October 24, 2012 4:33 pm
    WHAT?!?! I thought is was all because of a video. Oh, oh....BUSTED!!!!! Lies...lies...lies...and more lies. That is all we ever have gotten from the Owebama White House.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    The U.S. military did not quickly intervene during the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya last month because military leaders did not have adequate intelligence information and felt they should not put American forces at risk, Defense Secretary Leon Pa
    October 25, 2012 10:05 pm
    all Fox News needs is an email to go to war. Bet Sean Hannity sent the email. Sean Hannity is a conservative talk show joke who reaches out every day to millions of GOP Munchkins on radio, television and the Internet.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    CH, you can play your dumb 'Obama is god' schtick all you want, but Oz's failure to do ANYTHING cost us 4 good American lives . . . .
    October 25, 2012 10:16 pm
    ron how many lives did bush sent to an early death due to lies? I'll bet you $x0,000 it was more than 4. Iraqi casualties as a result of the war were about 20000 including about 4000 civilians. US losses 4236; 3406 in combat. 30984 wounded. http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Two things, CH.
    October 26, 2012 5:55 am
    First - we are NOT talking about Bush. ... I'm tired of whatever sins 'W' committed being used as an excuse. ....... And second - aid and a rescue mission are not war.

    But, by that way of thinking, we should never have shot back at Pearl Harbor until we knew 'for sure' those planes were from Japan.

    Of course, any 'god' demands sacrifices. I suppose we should be grateful Oz only demanded 4.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    There's was an old saying in the "official" community
    November 2, 2012 3:13 am
    Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter-accusations. Good to see we’ve "evolved" with this administration. After all, what possibly could be gained from covering anything bad up?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    So Ron - we go to war over 4 lives that we could not have saved? . . . .
    November 2, 2012 3:48 am
    just get your panties out of a bunch until everything is sorted out. DLO said he will find out who did this and get them(the evil doers). DLO has a track record. Now go back to Fox News and get your jolly's off.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    for God sake, CH. ... the rescue effert would have been FAR LESS than what we already gave the rebels earlier.
    November 2, 2012 5:34 am
    Do you have to excuse EVERYTHING Obama does or does not do ..... But, IF those 4 lives could not have been saved (and row about the others who WERE saved by the Seals who died?), why not AT LEAST TELL the American People WHY ???????

    Look - you really aren't the dumb drunken pot head you used to use as your schtick, but ask a few questions of your own side once in a while. ... And just what IS Oz's track record beside killing bin Laden ?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    The truth slowly comes out
    November 25, 2012 7:09 pm
    And the republicans have egg on their face again. In their haste to make this a HUGE issue, the republicans once again have to back peddle. The opposition for the confirmation of Susan Rice has eroded due to the supposition that she had "inside" information on the Bengazi, Libya attack that killed 4 Americans. republicans contend that it was a major cover up by the Obama administration when in reality it was the conservative media (faux news) that created a distorted time line for this unfortunate event. Leave it to the republicans to take the deaths of 4 Americans and turn it into an opportunity to blame the Obama administration for mis- management of the the embassy security. limbaugh and his slimy informers sure know how to conjure up tall tales.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }