One way to pay for cruise missiles

Clinton seeks to use Gaddafi’s seized funds to aid Libyan people


By Mary Beth Sheridan, Published in Washington Post: May 4 | Updated: Thursday, May 5, 6:53 AM


ROME — The Obama administration intends to use some of the billions of dollars in frozen assets belonging to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and his government to provide humanitarian and other assistance to Libyans affected by the ongoing civil war, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.
The move, announced at a high-level meeting here on how to shore up Libya’s bedraggled rebels, appeared to be the first time a country has sought to tap some of the massive Libyan wealth blocked by U.N. sanctions in February.
Clinton, speaking with leaders from NATO and Arab countries, said the Obama administration would seek congressional approval to allocate the frozen funds — a standard legal procedure under U.S. law. She did not say how much money was involved, or whether it would go to the rebels battling Gaddafi’s forces or to international humanitarian organizations. Article here