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Libyan government and rebel forces continue to trade threats over the loading of crude
from a North Korea-flagged tanker... amid a stand-off between the two sides at a port
in eastern Libya. Kim Ji-yeon reports. Libyan authorities have
dispatched "a force" to a port held by armed protesters to stop a North Korean-flagged
tanker from leaving with crude sold without government permission.
Culture Minister Habib Al-amin said Sunday that the "force" consists of "qualified" naval
officers and "revolutionaries," or former rebels now being paid by the government...
and adds that it has the authorization to strike the tanker with force if it does not
comply.
"Orders were given and all efforts are being undertaken to stop and seize the tanker, if
necessary by a strike if it does not follow orders."
The 37-thousand-ton "Morning Glory" was docked at the eastern terminal of Es Sider , which
is one of three ports seized by rebels... which is being used to press state authorities
for a bigger share of oil revenues. A local daily says the ship has been loaded
with 36 million U.S. dollars of crude. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan
said the military would bomb the Morning Glory if it tried to leave the port.
The captain of the North Korean-flagged oil tanker responded that local militia onboard
did not allow them to depart. The rebels say any attack on the tanker would
be a "declaration of war." The incident illustrates the deepening turmoil
in the OPEC producer, which has failed to rein in fighters who helped oust Muammar Gaddafi
in 2011. Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.