US Embassy in Libya Relocated Amidst ‘Freewheeling Violence’
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(TRIPOLI, Libya) — The U.S. embassy in Libya was relocated on Saturday and a new travel warning was issued by the U.S. Department of State due to ongoing violence.
The State Department called the move a “temporary relocation,” noting the recent clashes between Libyan militias in the vicinity of the embassy. American military personnel assisted in the relocation of all embassy personnel, who were taken to Tunisia without incident.
The State Department said that the situation in Libya is “unpredictable and unstable,” and that U.S. citizens may be targeted for kidnapping, violent attacks or death. All U.S. citizens in Libya are urged to depart immediately.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke about the decision to move the embassy on Saturday, noting “freewheeling militia violence.” Still, Kerry said, the United States is “deeply committed…to the diplomatic process in Libya.”
The withdrawal of the embassy comes nearly two years after a deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.
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