Republicans urge Obama to cancel 2.5-mln-dollar to Libya

Washington, Sep. 27 (ANI): Republican lawmakers have asked the Obama administration to change its plans to provide 2.5 million dollars in economic aid to Libya, including 400,000 dollars for Muammar al-Qaddafi's foundations.

Following Libyan leader's rambling diatribe at the United Nations this week and the hero's welcome he gave to the Lockerbie bomber last month, the GOP lawmakers want the administration to cancel the entire economic aid, Fox News reports.

In her letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtien wrote: "How could this assistance effectively promote democracy when entrusted to the dictator's family?"

Ros-Lehtien added that "this windfall" will only work to "further entrench a dictatorial regime whose extremist dogma was most recently demonstrated" with Qaddafi's "bizarre diatribe against freedom-loving nations at the UN."

On Wednesday, Qaddafi launched into a rambling assault against the UN Security Council, calling it a "terror council." He also suggested Israel was behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The State Department notified lawmakers earlier this month of its intent to disburse 2.5 dollars million in economic aid to Libya, including 400,000 dollars for Qaddafi's foundations.

Of the 400,000 dollars, half will go to a foundation run by the leader's son, Saif, and the other half to one run by his daughter, Aisha.

Qaddaf also attracted wrath of many after warmly embracing Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, after his return to Libya where he could die from prostate cancer.

Republican Mark Kirk, R-Ill, who is campaigning for Obama's former Senate seat, urged the president in a letter to withdraw the 400,000 dollars in funds to Qaddafi's foundations.

"Just weeks after the Qaddafi family celebrated the return of a terrorist responsible for the murders of 189 Americans, the U.S. taxpayer should not be asked to reward them with 400,000 dollars," he wrote. (ANI)