Latest news with #Semtex
Libya Review
05-05-2025
- Business
- Libya Review
Libya Warns UK Against Using Frozen Funds
The Libyan Parliament has strongly rejected any attempt by the United Kingdom or other countries to seize or utilise Libya's frozen assets held abroad, calling such actions a 'blatant violation' of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions. In a statement issued by the Parliamentary Committee for Investigating Libyan Frozen Funds Abroad, lawmakers condemned recent discussions in the UK's House of Lords regarding the possible use of Libyan assets to compensate victims of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The committee cited UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 (2011), which explicitly prohibit tampering with Libyan funds frozen overseas. The UK has previously ruled out using the assets to pay compensation, although it has acknowledged that former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime supplied weapons to the IRA during its conflict with Britain. Among these were large quantities of Semtex explosives, reportedly used in several IRA bombings. Committee head Yousef Al-Aqouri warned that any action to appropriate Libyan funds would be seen as 'an unacceptable and unjustified act' and a direct assault on the Libyan people's national resources. He added that Libya reserves the right to take all necessary legal and diplomatic measures to safeguard its financial assets and prevent their misuse. 'This issue is a national priority that cannot be compromised or negotiated,' Aqouri stressed, urging countries hosting Libyan assets to comply with international obligations and respect Libya's sovereignty. The statement concluded with a call for friendly nations to uphold international law and support mutual interests through respectful bilateral relations. Libyan lawmakers warned that failure to do so would damage diplomatic ties and undermine global trust in the international financial system. The frozen assets, valued in the billions, remain a sensitive and politically charged issue amid Libya's ongoing struggle for stability and sovereignty. Tags: Frozen AssetslibyaLibyan parliamentUnited Kingdom
Libyan Express
04-05-2025
- Business
- Libyan Express
UK government rejects proposal to use frozen Libyan assets
A Union flag blows in the wind near the Houses of Parliament on October 3, 2019 in London, England |The British government has rejected a parliamentary proposal debated in the House of Lords on Thursday, May 1, 2025, which called for the use of frozen Libyan assets to provide compensation to victims of IRA bombings that utilised explosives supplied by the Gaddafi regime. During the debate, Lord Collins of Highbury, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, stated that the government distinguishes between victims of IRA attacks using Libyan-supplied Semtex and victims of operations 'directly carried out by Libya' in other Western countries. The proposal, put forward by Baroness Hoey, aimed to utilise a portion of the approximately £12 billion in frozen Libyan assets held in the UK to compensate around 150 victims of IRA bombings. Baroness Hoey noted that victims from France, Germany, and the United States had received compensation from the Gaddafi regime averaging $5 million per victim, with these victims collectively seeking about £353 million in compensation. Baroness Hoey argued that recent UK legislation allowing the seizure of frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine—specifically a £2.26 billion loan to be repaid using profits generated from sanctioned Russian sovereign assets—created a legal precedent that could be applied to the Libyan assets case. She characterised this as 'What is good for the Russian goose's assets is good for the Libyan ganders assets.' The government defended its decision by citing United Nations resolutions stipulating that frozen Libyan assets should be preserved 'for the future benefit of the Libyan people.' Officials argued that seizing these assets could undermine international efforts toward Libyan stability. The government also declined to redirect the estimated £5 million collected annually in taxes from these frozen assets, with Lord Collins explaining that these funds go into 'the Government's consolidated fund, which is used for essential public services.' During the parliamentary debate, several peers expressed frustration over what they described as 'secret arrangements' with the former Gaddafi regime that successive Conservative and Labour governments have maintained, prioritising these agreements over compensation for victims. Lords also pressed for the publication of a government-commissioned report by William Shawcross regarding compensation options. The government refused this request, maintaining that the report contained 'private and confidential conversations' and that its release would potentially harm 'UK national security and international relations.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arrests in Jordan over rocket and drone plots
Jordan's security services say they have arrested 16 people suspected of plotting attacks inside the country involving rockets and drones. The General Intelligence Department said the suspects had been under surveillance since 2021 and their plans were aimed at "targeting national security, sowing chaos and sabotage". They involved possession of explosives and automatic weapons, the manufacture of rockets, the concealment of one rocket ready to be launched, a project to manufacture drones, and the training of individuals both in Jordan and abroad, it alleged. State media cited the government's spokesman as saying the suspects were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which denied any involvement. Communications Minister Mohammed al-Momani told reporters that the 16 suspects were divided into four cells with separate assignments, according to Petra news agency: The first cell, which had three main members who were arrested in 2023, transported and stored explosives, including TNT, C4 and Semtex, as well as automatic weapons smuggled from abroad, he said. A fourth member of the cell allegedly worked to conceal a Katyusha rocket equipped with a detonator in the south-western Marj al-Hamam neighbourhood of the capital, Amman. Momani said the rockets had a range of between three and five kilometres, which indicated that the suspects planned to target locations in Jordan The second three-member cell, which was arrested in February, had begun manufacturing short-range rockets and storing them in warehouses in Amman and the city of Zarqa, just to the north-east, he said, adding that they had received training and funding from abroad External parties were also allegedly supporting the third, four-member cell involved in the drone manufacturing project Momani said the fourth cell, with five members, had worked to recruit operatives to undergo illegal security training courses. All 16 suspects have been referred to the State Security Court on charges of violating the Anti-Terrorism law. Later, state-run Jordan Television broadcast what it said were confessions of eight of the suspects, six of whom said they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Petra. A statement from the Brotherhood rejected what it called the "unjust accusations" made by Momani and insisted it had no links to, or knowledge of, the plots. The Islamist group – whose political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is the largest opposition group in parliament - also stressed that it "adhered to the national line" and "remained committed to its peaceful approach". Jordanian officials have previously accused the Brotherhood of instigating pro-Hamas protests with the aim of destabilising the kingdom, which borders Israel and several Arab states. More than half of Jordan's population is estimated to be of Palestinian origin, since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Several suspects were also cited as saying that they had travelled to Lebanon to meet and undergo training with the person overseeing the plots. Lebanon's Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, told his Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan that it was ready to co-operate in tackling potential threats to their countries, Petra reported. Three Israelis shot dead at West Bank-Jordan crossing Israel arrests Jordan MP for alleged gun-smuggling Jordanian police die in shootout with suspect
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arrests in Jordan over rocket and drone plots
Jordan's security services say they have arrested 16 people suspected of plotting attacks inside the country involving rockets and drones. The General Intelligence Department said the suspects had been under surveillance since 2021 and their plans were aimed at "targeting national security, sowing chaos and sabotage". They involved possession of explosives and automatic weapons, the manufacture of rockets, the concealment of one rocket ready to be launched, a project to manufacture drones, and the training of individuals both in Jordan and abroad, it alleged. State media cited the government's spokesman as saying the suspects were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which denied any involvement. Communications Minister Mohammed al-Momani told reporters that the 16 suspects were divided into four cells with separate assignments, according to Petra news agency: The first cell, which had three main members who were arrested in 2023, transported and stored explosives, including TNT, C4 and Semtex, as well as automatic weapons smuggled from abroad, he said. A fourth member of the cell allegedly worked to conceal a Katyusha rocket equipped with a detonator in the south-western Marj al-Hamam neighbourhood of the capital, Amman. Momani said the rockets had a range of between three and five kilometres, which indicated that the suspects planned to target locations in Jordan The second three-member cell, which was arrested in February, had begun manufacturing short-range rockets and storing them in warehouses in Amman and the city of Zarqa, just to the north-east, he said, adding that they had received training and funding from abroad External parties were also allegedly supporting the third, four-member cell involved in the drone manufacturing project Momani said the fourth cell, with five members, had worked to recruit operatives to undergo illegal security training courses. All 16 suspects have been referred to the State Security Court on charges of violating the Anti-Terrorism law. Later, state-run Jordan Television broadcast what it said were confessions of eight of the suspects, six of whom said they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Petra. A statement from the Brotherhood rejected what it called the "unjust accusations" made by Momani and insisted it had no links to, or knowledge of, the plots. The Islamist group – whose political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is the largest opposition group in parliament - also stressed that it "adhered to the national line" and "remained committed to its peaceful approach". Jordanian officials have previously accused the Brotherhood of instigating pro-Hamas protests with the aim of destabilising the kingdom, which borders Israel and several Arab states. More than half of Jordan's population is estimated to be of Palestinian origin, since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Several suspects were also cited as saying that they had travelled to Lebanon to meet and undergo training with the person overseeing the plots. Lebanon's Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, told his Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan that it was ready to co-operate in tackling potential threats to their countries, Petra reported. Three Israelis shot dead at West Bank-Jordan crossing Israel arrests Jordan MP for alleged gun-smuggling Jordanian police die in shootout with suspect
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Jordan says 16 arrested over foiled rocket and drone attack plots
Jordan's security services say they have arrested 16 people suspected of plotting attacks inside the country involving rockets and General Intelligence Department said the suspects had been under surveillance since 2021 and their plans were aimed at "targeting national security, sowing chaos and sabotage".They involved possession of explosives and automatic weapons, the manufacture of rockets, the concealment of one rocket ready to be launched, a project to manufacture drones, and the training of individuals both in Jordan and abroad, it media cited the government's spokesman as saying the suspects were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which denied any involvement. Communications Minister Mohammed al-Momani told reporters that the 16 suspects were divided into four cells with separate assignments, according to Petra news agency:The first cell, which had three main members who were arrested in 2023, transported and stored explosives, including TNT, C4 and Semtex, as well as automatic weapons smuggled from abroad, he said. A fourth member of the cell allegedly worked to conceal a Katyusha rocket equipped with a detonator in the south-western Marj al-Hamam neighbourhood of the capital, Amman. Momani said the rockets had a range of between three and five kilometres, which indicated that the suspects planned to target locations in JordanThe second three-member cell, which was arrested in February, had begun manufacturing short-range rockets and storing them in warehouses in Amman and the city of Zarqa, just to the north-east, he said, adding that they had received training and funding from abroadExternal parties were also allegedly supporting the third, four-member cell involved in the drone manufacturing projectMomani said the fourth cell, with five members, had worked to recruit operatives to undergo illegal security training 16 suspects have been referred to the State Security Court on charges of violating the Anti-Terrorism state-run Jordan Television broadcast what it said were confessions of eight of the suspects, six of whom said they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Petra.A statement from the Brotherhood rejected what it called the "unjust accusations" made by Momani and insisted it had no links to, or knowledge of, the Islamist group – whose political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is the largest opposition group in parliament - also stressed that it "adhered to the national line" and "remained committed to its peaceful approach".Jordanian officials have previously accused the Brotherhood of instigating pro-Hamas protests with the aim of destabilising the kingdom, which borders Israel and several Arab than half of Jordan's population is estimated to be of Palestinian origin, since the start of the Gaza war in suspects were also cited as saying that they had travelled to Lebanon to meet and undergo training with the person overseeing the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, told his Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan that it was ready to co-operate in tackling potential threats to their countries, Petra reported.
