Navy SEALs Seize Libya Renegade Tanker Carrying Stolen Oil For Sale

Navy SEALs raided an oil tanker off sailing from Libya, seizing the tanker from members of Libya anti-government militia and securing a payload of oil stolen from Libya’s central government. No one was injured in the Navy SEALs raid and the United States is now deciding the fate of the Libyan rebels who had earlier taken control of the tanker.

The ship had been “taken by force” by the rebels, according to a U.S. statement.

The government of Libya requested that the U.S. act to take back the oil. On Saturday, Libya said it would bomb the renegade tanker if rebels did not return it to a Libyan port, with the oil intact.

The oil theft by rebel militia led directly to Libya’s parliament booting out Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, who had been widely criticized for what his opponents said was his failure to bring the anti-government militias that operate in Libya under control.

Libya asked for the U.S. to call in the Navy SEALs when it failed to stop the tanker itself due to “bad weather and inadequate resources.”

The government of Cyprus also asked the U.S. to do something about the tanker, which reportedly sailed under a North Korean flag, though the government of North Korea denied that the tanker was registered in that country.

After the two governments asked for American help, U.S. President Barack Obama gave the green light to the Navy SEALs to take back the tanker and its contraband oil.

The Navy SEALs appear to have accomplished their mission rather easily, without firing a shot or taking one from the Libya rebels who had commandeered the tanker.

The Navy SEALs launched the raid from the U.S.S. Roosevelt, pictured above, a guided missile destroyer.

“We don’t want to live in a world where armed individuals or groups are able to seize vessels, threaten people’s lives and sell stolen cargo for their own financial gain,” said the U.S statement. “This was a stateless vessel on the high seas that was not flying under a flag recognized by any nation.”

The theft of the oil, which would have been worth $36 million on the black market, was engineered by rebel leader Ibrahim Jathran, who three years ago played a role in deposing Libya’s longtime strongman Moammar Qaddafi.

The Navy SEALs were accompanying the ship back to Libya at least report.

[U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg- Tanker Photo Via cyprus-mail.com]