The Libyan defense minister took over duties as prime minister this morning as the Libyan parliament voted "no confidence" in the current prime minister after a North-Korea-flagged tanker broke the "blockade" from a rebel-held port. The ouster of the PM appears to have bolstered confidence in the anti-rebel oil-stealing that we discussed yesterday, and resulted in
- *LIBYA NAVY FIRE HIT TANKER AS IT FLED TO INTL WATERS: SKYNEWS
The oil tanker - The Morning Glory - had at least 234,000 barrels of oil aboard but is now "under complete control" of Libyan government authorities. However, as Bloomberg reports, the North Korean tanker is said to be on fire after being hit by a missile.
It's been a busy morning for Libya:
The rebels started it..
- *EAST LIBYA REBELS ANNOUNCE START OF OIL EXPORTS, NABAA TV SAYS
- *LIBYA REBELS SEEK TO SELL OIL FROM ALL PORTS THEY CONTROL: TV
And for a while they were right...
- *OIL TANKER ESCAPES LIBYA NAVY INTO INTERNATIONAL WATERS:JAZEERA
- *LIBYAN MP HUWAILI SAYS TANKER ESCAPED TO INTL WATERS: NABAA TV
- *LIBYA'S HUWAILI SAYS GOVT TO ASK INTERPOL TO TRACK TANKER
Which led to:
- *LIBYAN PARLIAMENT OUSTS PRIME MINISTER, AP SAYS
- *LIBYAN DEFENSE MINISTER WILL ASSUME ROLE OF PM FOR 15 DAYS
Via BBC [6],
Libya's parliament has dismissed PM Ali Zeidan after a tanker laden with oil from a rebel-held port reportedly broke through a naval blockade.
MPs called a vote of confidence in Mr Zeidan amid reports that the North Korean-flagged ship had escaped to sea.
Defence Minister Abdullah al-Thinni was named interim prime minister.
Earlier, Libyan officials had said they had "complete control" of the tanker as it tried to leave Sidra port. However, rebel fighters rejected the assertion.
Separatist militants have occupied three major eastern ports since August.
They are seeking a greater share of the country's oil revenues, as well as autonomy for eastern Libya.
The oil tanker - named Morning Glory - was reported to have taken on at least 234,000 barrels of crude oil at the Sidra terminal.
It was the first vessel to have loaded oil from a rebel-held port since the separatist revolt against the authorities in Tripoli erupted in July.
which resulted in:
- *LIBYA NAVY FIRE HIT TANKER AS IT FLED TO INTL WATERS: SKYNEWS
And, as the Libya Herald reports [7],
The North Korean-flagged oil tanker that left Libya this morning after loading an illegal shipment of oil is said to be on fire after being hit by a missile.
“Part of the ship is burning because it was shot at,” General National Congress (GNC) member Abdullah El-Kabier told the Libya Herald. He was unable to give more details or identify who had fired on the tanker.
We suspect Mr. Kim will be displeased (or is this a way to distract from Ukraine and get the North Koreans to rattle some sabres?)