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U.S. official: Missiles give Libyan militias 'leverage'

 
USA Today
March 5, 2012
Jim Michaels
 
Libyan militias that are sitting on stockpiles of portable anti-aircraft missiles will probably not relinquish them until they reach a broad political agreement with the country's fledgling central government, a top State Department official said.
 
"Their ultimate leverage is they're armed," said Andrew Shapiro, an assistant secretary of State who oversees efforts to account for the missiles, which are prized by terrorists. "They're not going to give that up until they are satisfied that their interests are being taken into account."
 
The missiles are small enough to fit in the trunk of a car and can be used to attack civilian aircraft. They are sought by terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda.
 
"We know they're interested," Shapiro told USA TODAY.
 
Libya under former president Moammar Gadhafi purchased about 20,000 missiles - and had more than any nation that didn't produce the weapons. Even before the regime fell last fall, U.S.-funded inspectors began searching for the weapons, called Man Portable Air Defense Systems or MANPADS, in an effort to keep them out of the hands of terrorists.
 
Inspectors in Libya have accounted for about 5,000 missiles or components so far and are unsure of how many remain missing. The State Department believes thousands were destroyed by NATO airstrikes before the Gadhafi regime collapsed.
 
Many of the stockpiles were raided by rebels fighting Gadhafi's forces. "We think the vast majority of the MANPADS that are still out there are held by the militias," Shapiro said.
 
Libya's new government is attempting to formulate a plan to bring the militias under central control, probably as part of a national army.
 
Meanwhile, the missiles remain vulnerable.
 
"If they are not under centralized government control then they'll be vulnerable to theft, loss and diversion," said Matt Schroeder, a non-proliferation analyst at the Federation of American Scientists.
 
Shapiro said Libya's government is working toward a political solution and has managed to avoid major clashes with militias.
 
"It has not turned into a full-scale blow up," he said. "I think that is testament to the government really trying to figure out ways to accommodate different tribal regions and interest groups within Libya."
 
© 2012 USA Today
 
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| Ander Nieuws week 12 / Midden-Oosten 2012 |