Tagged: Libya

DETROIT (AP) - Michigan State University says a Libya-funded diplomatic and educational program for professionals from the North African nation halted this spring is restarting and participants will move to American University in Washington, D.C.

Michigan State spokesman Kent Cassella says the university learned this week - just before news of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's death - that Libya's National Economic Development Board would relaunch the two-year Visiting International Professionals Program.

Cassella says Michigan State also learned the program would consolidate all students to American University.

Cassella says Michigan State officials and the 19 remaining students are disappointed to lose the program that once included 35. Some returned to Libya and those who remained were provided
housing and other help from the university and community.

Messages were left Friday with American University.

Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers says as the Muammar Gadhafi regime loses power in Libya, the United States needs to make sure Libya’s weapons stockpiles don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Rogers chairs the House Select Intelligence Committee and was among a group of Republicans who supported stronger military support of the rebels in Libya, including a U.S. enforced “no-fly zone.”

He says as Gadhafi loses power, the U.S. must move quickly to safeguard Libya’s advanced and  chemical weapons.

"Unfortunately we know through intelligence that Al-Qaeda is trying to take advantage of the chaos and obtain those weapons systems or at least components of them or incomplete weapons systems or all of those things. They are making that effort."

President Obama says the United States will be a friend and partner to help a democratic Libya emerge in the post-Gadhafi era. He says U.S. assistance will continue to be part of a multinational effort to help Libya.

Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow says the events in Libya this weekend vindicate President Obama’s decision to support NATO’s involvement there.  

“I think it does indicate that the president was correct…well obviously…it was a very very difficult situation…a very difficult decision for him to make…but it was the right one.”

Initially, the U.S. supervised a “No Fly Zone”  which prevented Libyan government troops from attacking disorganized rebel forces.  Eventually, NATO took control of air operations over Libya. 

Marisa Schultz has an amazing story in today's Detroit News.

It's about Mustafa Gheriani of Fenton, Michigan.

Gheriani is a U.S. citizen, but was born in Benghazi, Libya.

Last February, Gheriani traveled to Benghazi for a family wedding. The revolution broke out and Gheriani found himself speaking to western reporters on behalf of the Libyan rebels. From the article:

He reported scenes from the front lines, casualties and acknowledged the rag-tag limitations of the rebel army against Gadhafi's iron-fist regime. He worked tirelessly with a cadre of international reporters with one goal: "Libya news stayed on the front page."

Gheriani didn't mince words when talking to the press. Gadhafi's "hands are tainted with blood and we will not talk to him," Gheriani told the Associated Press in March.

Back home in Fenton, when his wife saw those words she thought, "'he's a dead man."