Al-Qaeda suspect al-Liby in New York to face charges

The Libyan man who was seized earlier this month in a US raid in Tripoli has been transferred to the US to face charges in New York, the BBC reported.

Officials said Abu Anas al-Liby, whose real name is Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, had been questioned on board a navy ship while travelling to the US.

He is accused of links with al-Qaeda and involvement in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa.

Mr Liby was indicted by a New York grand jury in 2000.

The US attorney for the southern district of New York, Preet Bharara, said in a statement that Mr Liby was transferred to law enforcement custody at the weekend.

The 49-year-old was likely to be presented before a judicial officer on Tuesday, he added.

There has been anger in Libya over the US commando raid on 5 October which seized the senior al-Qaeda suspect. Many saw the raid as a breach of Libyan sovereignty.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has defended the capture of Mr Liby, calling him a "legal and appropriate target.”

The Libya government has demanded an explanation for the raid from the US. Its justice minister summoned the US ambassador to the country for questioning last week.

Intelligence officials interrogated Mr Liby for a week after his capture aboard the USS San Antonio in the Mediterranean, according to reports.

Mr Liby's sons have claimed that Libyans were involved in his kidnap, which Tripoli denies.