On Monday, the USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet, docked at the port of Benghazi as part of an official visit aimed at strengthening military engagement between Libya and the United States.
The visit featured a high-level meeting between American defense officials and senior commanders of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
The US delegation included Vice Admiral Thomas J. Anderson, Commander of the US Sixth Fleet, US Special Envoy to Libya Ambassador Richard Norland, and US Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt.
They were received by top LNA leaders, including Lieutenant General Khairy Al-Tamimi, Secretary General of the General Command, Lieutenant General Khaled Haftar, Chief of Staff of the Security Units, and Vice Admiral Shaib Al-Saber, Chief of Naval Staff.
According to a statement released by the US Embassy in Libya, the meeting focused on deepening military cooperation and supporting efforts to unify Libya’s fragmented military institutions. The US officials reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with all Libyan stakeholders in the pursuit of national reconciliation, peace, and security.
This Benghazi meeting followed a prior stop by the same US delegation in Tripoli on Sunday, where the Mount Whitney docked before continuing to eastern Libya. In Tripoli, the delegation met with senior leaders from the Government of National Unity (GNU), including Chief of Staff General Mohamed Al-Haddad, Presidential Council member Abdullah Al-Lafi, Acting Foreign Minister Taher Al-Baour, Deputy Defense Minister Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, and Audit Bureau President Khaled Shakshak.
The US Embassy noted that both sets of meetings were part of a coordinated initiative to support Libya’s defense integration efforts and reassert Washington’s long-term commitment to the country’s stability.
The embassy added that the visit reinforced the United States’ desire for a strong and unified Libyan military that can contribute to national sovereignty and regional security.
