List of ambassadors of the United States to Libya

Until its independence in 1951, Libya had been a colony of Italy (1912–1947) and then under British and French occupation until 1951. In 1949 The UN General Assembly had passed a resolution stating that Libya should become independent before January 1, 1952 (Resolution 289). On December 24, 1951, Libya declared its independence under King Idris.{{cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/countries/libya|title=Libya|publisher=United States Department of State|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5425.htm|title=Background Note: Libya|publisher=United States Department of State|access-date=July 24, 2011}}

The United States recognized the Kingdom of Libya on December 24, 1951, in a congratulatory message sent by President Harry Truman to King Idris I. Diplomatic relations were established on the same day and the U.S. Consulate-General was elevated to a legation with Andrew Lynch designated as Charge d'Affaires ad interim. The first official envoy to Libya was Henry Serrano Villard, who presented his credentials on March 6, 1952.

On December 2, 1979, a mob attacked and burned the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli. On December 29, the U.S. Department of State designated Libya as a state sponsor of terrorism. The Chargé d’Affaires was recalled on February 8, 1980 and the embassy was closed May 2, 1980.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/libya/forrel-us.htm|title=U.S.-Libyan Relations|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://libya.usembassy.gov/about.html|title=About Us|publisher=United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tripoli|access-date=July 24, 2011}} However, diplomatic relations were not formally severed. Diplomatic relations were not resumed until 2006.

The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli was closed and all diplomatic personnel were evacuated on February 25, 2011, due to the Libyan civil war.{{cite web|url=http://libya.usembassy.gov/wm022611.html|title=U.S. Embassy Tripoli Warden Message – Immediate Evacuation Information|publisher=United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tripoli|date=February 26, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov/libya_evacuation3.html|title=U.S. Citizens Evacuated Libya|publisher=United States Department of State, Consulate General of the United States, Istanbul|date=February 25, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/26/libya.us.diplomats/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD|title=U.S. diplomat says embassy security 'not the best' in Tripoli|publisher=CNN|date=February 26, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121162500/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-26/world/libya.us.diplomats_1_embassy-staff-american-diplomats-embassy-operations?_s=PM:WORLD|archive-date=November 21, 2011|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022504464.html|title=U.S. closes embassy in Tripoli, prepares sanctions|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 25, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}} The embassy of Hungary in Tripoli acted as the protecting power for U.S. interests from the closure of the embassy until its reopening on September 22, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://libya.usembassy.gov/tw_071911.html|publisher=United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tripoli|title=Libya Travel Update|date=July 19, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/inbrief/2011/09/20110923111552enaj5.610293e-02.html#axzz1Yi08dRqp|publisher=United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tripoli|title=U.S. Embassy Reopens in a Free Libya|date=September 22, 2011|access-date=October 19, 2011}}

On July 15, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton announced that the U.S. Government recognizes the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council as the "legitimate governing authority" of Libya—which de facto withdraws recognition from the Gaddafi government.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304203304576447551762812720|title=U.S. recognizes Libyan Rebel Group|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=July 16, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_18482706?source=commented-|title=US formally recognizes Libya rebels|publisher=The Denver Post|date=July 15, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/us-recognizes-libyan-rebels-libyan-government-124658625.html?|title=US recognizes Libyan rebels as Libyan government|publisher=Yahoo.com|date=July 15, 2011|access-date=July 24, 2011}} On September 12, 2012 the US ambassador to Libya was killed in an attack on the Benghazi consulate, along with three other embassy employees.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19570254|title=BBC News – US ambassador 'killed in Libya'|date=September 12, 2012|work=BBC Online|access-date=September 12, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://libya.usembassy.gov/principal.html|title=Ambassador – Embassy of the United States Tripoli, Libya|work=United States Foreign Service|access-date=September 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230225938/http://libya.usembassy.gov/principal.html|archive-date=December 30, 2008|url-status=dead}}

The U.S Embassy was again evacuated and closed on July 26, 2014. Embassy staff totaling approximately 150 personnel, including about 80 U.S Marines, were evacuated overland to Tunisia during a military assisted departure. USAF F-16's provided armed overwatch for the embassy convoy as they drove through Libya. The evacuation was due to major fighting around the embassy related to the 2014 Libyan Civil War.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/26/world/africa/libya-us-embassy-evacuation/index.html|title=U.S. Embassy in Libya evacuates personnel|first=By Barbara Starr, Joe Sterling and Azadeh|last=Ansari|website=CNN|date=July 26, 2014 |access-date=August 22, 2019}}

However, the United States did not sever diplomatic relations with Libya. Working from the U.S. Embassies in Valletta, Malta and, after August 2015, Tunis, Tunisia under the authority of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, U.S. diplomats in the Libya External Affairs Office maintained regular dialogue with the provisional Libyan Government.[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/chiefsofmission/libya Chiefs of Mission for Libya]

{{Reflist|30em}}

• Libya–United States relations
• Foreign relations of Libya
• Ambassadors of the United States

• [https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5425.htm United States Department of State: Background notes on Libya]
• {{StateDept}}

{{commonscatinline|Ambassadors of the United States to Libya}}

• [https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/chiefsofmission/libya United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Libya]
• [https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/nea/ci/ly/ United States Department of State: Libya]
• [https://ly.usembassy.gov/ United States Embassy in Tripoli]

{{Ambassadors of the United States}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambassadors of the United States to Libya}}

Libya

United States