List of ambassadors of the United States to Libya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ambassador of the United States to Libya
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Jeremy Berndt Chargé d’Affaires ad interim since October 9, 2023
Residence	Tripoli
Nominator	The President of the United States
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder	Henry Serrano Villard as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Formation	February 7, 1952
Website	U.S. Embassy – Tripoli

The United States ambassador to Libya is a special representative. This person acts as the main link between the President of the United States and the leader of Libya. Their job is to help keep good relations between the two countries.

History of US-Libya Relations

Libya was once a colony of Italy. This means Italy ruled Libya from 1912 to 1947. After that, British and French forces took control. Libya finally became an independent country on December 24, 1951. This happened after the UN General Assembly said Libya should be free. King Idris became Libya's first king.

Establishing Diplomatic Ties

The United States quickly recognized Libya's independence. President Harry Truman sent a message to King Idris I on December 24, 1951. On the same day, the US and Libya started official diplomatic relations. The US Consulate-General in Libya became a legation. This is a type of diplomatic office. Andrew Lynch was the first temporary head of this office. The first official US envoy to Libya was Henry Serrano Villard. He started his work on March 6, 1952.

Challenges and Closures of the Embassy

Over the years, the relationship between the US and Libya faced challenges. On December 2, 1979, a crowd attacked and burned the US Embassy in Tripoli. Because of this, the US Department of State called Libya a "state sponsor of terrorism." The US recalled its temporary ambassador on February 8, 1980. The embassy then closed on May 2, 1980. However, the two countries did not completely cut off their diplomatic ties. Full diplomatic relations did not start again until 2006.

The US Embassy in Tripoli closed again on February 25, 2011. This was because of the Libyan civil war. All US diplomats left the country for safety. The Hungarian Embassy in Tripoli helped look after US interests during this time. The US Embassy reopened on September 22, 2011.

In July 2011, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an important announcement. The US government recognized the Libyan rebel group, the National Transitional Council. This group was seen as the new "legitimate governing authority" of Libya. This meant the US no longer recognized the old government.

A very sad event happened on September 12, 2012. The US ambassador to Libya was killed in an attack on the Benghazi consulate. Three other embassy employees also died in this attack.

The US Embassy closed once more on July 26, 2014. This was due to major fighting around the embassy. About 150 embassy staff, including US Marines, were moved safely to Tunisia. USAF F-16 jets watched over the convoy as they drove through Libya. This was during the 2014 Libyan Civil War.

Even with these closures, the United States did not completely end its diplomatic relations with Libya. US diplomats continued to work from US Embassies in Valletta, Malta, and later in Tunis, Tunisia. They kept talking with the Libyan government.

Ambassadors and Chiefs of Mission

This table lists the main US representatives to Libya.