Libyan oil minister reportedly defects to Tunisia

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By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY

Updated

A Tunisian security official says Libya's oil minister has defected, the Associated Press reports.

Shukri Ghanem, the head of the national oil company and Libya's oil minister, crossed into Tunisia by road on Monday and defected, the Tunisian official said.

Ghanem is among Moammar Gadhafi officials under U.S. sanctions announced by the Treasury Department in early April.

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim denied Monday night that Ghanem had defected. "He is working in his office," he tells the AP.

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About Doug Stanglin

Doug is an unrepentant news junkie who loves breaking news and has been known to watch C-SPAN even on vacation. He has covered a wide range of domestic and international news stories, from prison riots in Oklahoma to the Moscow coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. Doug previously served as foreign editor at USA TODAY. More about Doug

About Michael Winter

Michael Winter has been a daily contributor to On Deadline since its debut in January 2006. His journalism career began in the prehistoric Ink Era, and he was an early adapter at the dawn of the Digital Age. His varied experience includes editing at the San Jose Mercury News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.