@igeldardIan Geldard
Urgent efforts underway to recover stolen Libyan weapons from al-Qaeda - Telegraph tgr.ph/o51RVJ #Libya
Urgent efforts underway to recover stolen Libyan weapons from al-Qaeda
Urgent efforts are underway to recover looted stockpiles of weapons in Libya amid fears they have fallen into the hands of al-Qaeda, President Barack Obama's counter-terrorism adviser has said.
9:00PM BST 23 Sep 2011
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, John Brennan, said he was worried about the number of machine guns and surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing during the Libyan revolution.
He said it was important to prevent them falling into the hands of al-Qaeda's North African branch, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which has "close relations" with the branches in Yemen and Pakistan.
The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this week that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had also obtained missiles after dispatching agents to take advantage of a free-for-all in Libya.
"I'm concerned about what is going on inside of Libya because there's been a fair amount of disorder and upheaval in the country," he said.
"The weapons stock piles - whether we're talking about missile systems or we're talking about automatic weapons - these are things that we and our European allies are working very closely with the TNC [Transitional National Council] and Libyan authorities to get some control over.
"It's a big country, there were a lot of weapons depots that were scattered throughout the country and we're working again with the TNC and Europeans as well as the regional states."
The White House Deputy National Security Adviser was speaking at his office in the White House, shortly before meeting Theresa May, the Home Secretary.
Mr Brennan said neighbouring states were "very concerned about making sure that we do everything possible to prevent al-Qaeda from acquiring these weapons and threatening them."
Mrs May said Britain would play a "key role" in helping stabilise Libya and added: "Border security should form part of that work, making sure they can ensure security of borders so that they're not seeing people and things moving across porous borders which are not going to be of help."
Mr Brennan also spoke about cooperation with the British and said the Americans had helped in the search for Judith Tebbutt who was kidnapped by Somali pirates who killed her husband on a beach in Kenya last week.
He said Britain and the US were "more often that not cheek by jowl in the trenches, working together."
Talking of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – whose leaders have joined the revolution – Mr Brennan cautioned: "The LIFG was focused on Gaddafi but then a number of those Libyans either went to Europe or in fact became part of al-Qaeda core there are a number of individuals who have Libyan nationality who became part of al-Qaeda."
In Pakistan, he said al-Qaeda was increasingly relying on a number of others groups which have not pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda but offer it protection and launch joint attacks.
US officials have particular concerns over the Haqqani network, run by father and son team Jalaluddin and Sirajuddin, and based in North Waziristan in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
The group claimed responsibility for the US embassy attack in Kabul last week and their links to the Pakistani ISI intelligence agency were spelled out in congressional evidence by Admiral Mike Mullen, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Thursday.
Mr Brennan said the group felt safe in Pakistan, adding: "They have felt as though they can have the sanctuary there because, having worked with some of the local tribes there, they feel as though they are insulated from the Pakistani military moving in."
