U.S. diplomats acknowledge that despite expanding relations, the regime
of Libyan ruler Moammar Khaddafy remains anti-American and unresponsive to
human or civil rights. They said the new U.S. embassy in Tripoli has been
unable to obtain access or information on the fate of detained Americans.
"Most of the time, there's nobody to talk to," a diplomatic source said.
For nearly two months, the U.S. embassy has been denied access to an
American detained by what appeared to be Libya's secret police. The
diplomats said the American was arrested at Tripoli International Airport as
he sought to leave Libya in February.
"An American reported [in February] that someone identifying himself as
an Internal Security Organization officer told him that he was to appear
immediately to ISO Headquarters," the U.S. embassy in Tripoli said in a
report. "A few days later, authorities at the airport's departure control
area detained the same American. As of April 2, post has yet to be granted
consular access or receive any explanation for the detention despite
numerous requests."
The report by the embassy's regional security office compiled criminal
incidents that targeted American and other members of the expatriate
community in Tripoli during the first quarter of 2007. The report outlined
harassment, assaults and abductions of Americans and other Westerners.
Many of the Westerners appear to have been victims of crime conducted in
cooperation with staffers at hotels or residences. The report detailed
burglaries of secured Western hotels and apartment buildings in Tripoli.
Westerners were also assaulted on the streets of Tripoli, often for no
reason. The report detailed crimes in Tripoli's Gargaresh district, where
many Americans and other Westerners live.
"A Western expatriate was driving in Gargaresh, when a man used his
vehicle to block the expatriate, exited his vehicle, opened the door of the
expatriate's vehicle and struck the expatriate a number of times before
exiting the scene," the embassy report said. "There is no apparent motive
for the assault."
The report cited almost no police intervention or arrests in the first
quarter of 2007. The embassy reported one arrest in March.
Diplomats said Western embassies have urged Tripoli to crack down on
crime against expatriates, much of it conducted by illegal African aliens.
In several cases, the illegal immigrants broke into the residences of
Americans to hide from police.
"Throughout the month of March, Libyan police have conducted periodic
raids on residences in the Gargaresh neighborhoods suspected of housing
undocumented aliens," the report said.
