Republican senators meet with Libya’s transitional leaders
Sen. John McCain of Arizona led a delegation of Republican senators in Libya Thursday, where they met with its Transitional National Council, a Senate aide said.
McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was traveling with Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who also sits on the panel, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the aide said.
Kirk, in a news release, said they were in Tripoli “to assess the situation and meet the new leaders of Libya.”
He added: “It is clear that they are in the final stage of defeating Kadafi’s army and as Libya recovers, we can look forward to a new ally and friend of the U.S.”
“To accelerate the recovery of the country and relieve humanitarian pressure, the U.S. should replace the ‘no-fly zone’ with a ‘pro-fly zone,’ encouraging as much civilian commerce as possible.”
“We should also transfer ownership and control of Kadafi’s $34 billion frozen by the U.S. to the new Transitional National Council.”
Kirk, in a tweet, said he was with the chairman of Libya’s Transitional National Council. “Look forward to new friend of America,” Kirk wrote.
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