Libyan commander whose militia seized oil ports seeks US help amid standoff with government

TRIPOLI, Libya – A Libyan commander whose militia seized vital oil terminals in the country's east says he is seeking help from the United States amid a standoff with the government.

Ibrahim Jedran said in a statement Tuesday that U.S. help would be "welcome" in monitoring militia's management of oil exports and revenues from their eastern region.

Jeddran's militia sparked a three-day crisis over a North Korean-flagged oil tanker that docked without government permission in the key port of al-Sidra, where it had attempted to load oil for the first time. The militia seized the port last summer.

The government claimed Monday its forces had taken control of the tanker, but the militia denied this.

U.S. Ambassador Deborah Jones has said the militia's action was "counter to law and amounts to theft."