Libya Reports 6th Fleet Exercise, Warns Ships : Mediterranean: It claims ‘non-responsibility.’ The Pentagon says forces are nowhere near Libyan territory.

Libya warned ships Monday that they enter the central Mediterranean at their peril because its arch-foe, the United States, is conducting naval maneuvers there.

“As a result of the military training carried out by the U.S. 6th Fleet on March 26 and 27, Great Jamahiriya (Libya) announces its non-responsibility for what is happening,” said a statement issued by the Libyan marine inspection office.

The statement listed seven coordinates encompassing an area of more than 16,000 square miles lying midway between the Libyan port of Benghazi and the island of Malta.

“As we are one of the states in the region, we consider the above-mentioned area closed for marine shipping traffic, and we will not receive or provide any assistance for ships sailing into, coming from or going out of it,” Libya said.

The area is north of the Gulf of Sidra, where Tripoli has clashed previously with the 6th Fleet.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman said two U.S. Navy battle groups may be conducting routine transition exercises in the central Mediterranean before rotation of their duties. But the exercises would be nowhere near Libya, he said.

The Gulf of Sidra has been a flashpoint between the United States and Libya since the mid-1980s, when relations deteriorated sharply over U.S. accusations that the Libyans were funding and arming terrorist groups.

Washington has also accused Libya of producing chemical arms at a plant at Rabta, south of Tripoli, and has said it does not rule out using force against the plant.

In January, 1986, Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi drew a “line of death” across the Gulf of Sidra and warned U.S. and other foreign ships not to cross it. On March 24, 1986, Libya fired Soviet-made SAM missiles at U.S. 6th Fleet aircraft flying inside the line.

In retaliatory strikes, the 6th Fleet destroyed mainland missile and radar facilities and sank four Libyan patrol boats in the Gulf of Sidra.