Libya news stories on Newser

Lockerbie Bomber Buried in Libya

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:22:58 CDT

The only man convicted in the 1988 bombing on Pan Am Flight 103 has been buried with little fanfare near the Libyan capital with just under 100 family members and passers-by in attendance. Today's quiet funeral in Tripoli stands in stark contrast to the hero's welcome Abdelbaset al-Megrahi received almost...

Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi Dead

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:33:22 CDT

Nearly three years after he was released on compassionate grounds to his homeland of Libya, convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has died, Reuters reports, citing a statement by Megrahi's brother. Initially given six months to live, Megrahi's health had deteriorated rapidly in recent days after a long battle with...

Libya's Ex-Oil Minister Found Floating Down Danube River

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:04:06 CDT

Libya's former oil minister, who defected during the height of his country's uprising, was found floating dead down the Danube river in Austria today. Shukri Ghanem's body showed no signs of violence, although "there would be no signs of violence if someone pushed him in," said a police spokesman. "But...

Lawyers: Gadhafi Son Beaten in Prison

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:28:20 CDT

Lawyers for Moammar's Gadhafi's imprisoned son, Saif al-Islam, say he is being beaten in a Libyan prison, where he is held in near total isolation. Though Libyan prosecutors initially said he would only be tried for minor crimes involving a camel license and fish farming problems, he is being kept...

Gadhafi's Hated Spy Chief Arrested Abroad

John Johnson — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:21:13 CDT

A reviled figure in Moammar Gadhafi's former Libyan regime has been arrested, reports Reuters . Spy chief Abdullah al-Senussi got nabbed at an airport in Mauritania, and in an apparent testament to his character, there are no fewer than three places hoping to have him extradited for trial. The International Criminal...

Eastern Libya Declares Itself Semi-Autonomous

Kevin Spak — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:10:30 CST

Thousands of civic leaders gathered in Benghazi today to declare that Eastern Libya would become a semi-autonomous region known as Cyrenaica—a move strenuously opposed by Libya's official interim government, the National Transitional Council. The conference elected Ahmed al-Zubair, an NTC member and the longest-serving political prisoner under Moammar Gadhafi,...

There Were 2 Crazy Plots to Smuggle Out Gadhafi's Son

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:13:13 CST

The strange story of the plot to smuggle al-Saadi Gadhafi into Mexico gets stranger: Prosecutors now say they actually broke up two plots to get Moammar Gadhafi's playboy son out of Libya and into Mexico, plots that the AP calls "Indiana Jones-style." A Canadian woman, Danish man, and two Mexican...

Libyan Detainees Tortured to Death: Amnesty

Matt Cantor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:05 CST

Some of Libya's reported 8,500 detainees have died following torture, says Amnesty International, citing patients with open head, limb, and back wounds. "The torture is being carried out by officially recognized military and security entities as well as by a multitude of armed militias operating outside any legal framework,...

Gadhafi Loyalists Take Town Near Tripoli

Kevin Spak — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:04:05 CST

The Libyan war may not be over after all; fighters loyal to the old regime seized the town of Bani Walid yesterday, hoisting the green flag of Moammar Gadhafi's Libya after an eight-hour battle with the revolutionary brigade that had been holding the city. "They control the town now. They...