Thinking about visiting Libya? Strolling the streets of exotic downtown Tripoli? The United States Department of State warns you: you’d better have your affairs in order first.
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That includes such precautions as writing your will ahead of time and leaving a DNA sample.
Americans who may be planning a trip to Libya are being urged to reconsider those plans, as the U.S. State Department has issued its strongest possible travel warning.
The department recently updated Libya’s Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, warning Americans not to visit the country for any reason due to crime, terrorism, health concerns, unrest, kidnapping and landmines. The overall advisory level did not change.
“Do not travel to Libya for any reason,” the advisory states.
The State Department warns that clashes between armed groups and government-aligned forces can break out at any time — while weapons are widespread throughout the country.
“Prepare a will and end-of-life instructions,” the advisory states. Travelers are also advised to designate insurance beneficiaries or draft a power of attorney.
Here’s the question: What in the wide, wide world of sports would make any American travel to Libya in the first place? It’s pretty much the definition of a Third World feces hole. Crime and terrorism are rampant. It’s literally one of the worst places on the planet. And if any American did decide to visit there voluntarily, they are practically asking to be the recipient of a Darwin Award.
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Criminal organizations are known to be involved in drug and human trafficking and other smuggling activity, while targeted kidnappings and assassinations are common, according to the advisory.
“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims have included U.S. citizens,” officials warn.
The only reason I can see for an American to enter this country would be if you had some diplomatic duty, in which case you’d certainly have an adequate security detail with adequate equipment, weapons, and backup; I mean, it’s not like Hillary Clinton is still Secretary of State or anything. It’s also rather unlikely since the United States has no embassy and little, if any, diplomatic presence in Libya. The only other possibility I can think of would be visiting family in that horrible country, and even then, it seems like a really, really bad idea. We all love our grandmas, but it’s not worth getting killed or trafficked over.
Still, people have been known to do dumb things. You might remember the three knuckleheads who were arrested by Iranian border guards when they entered Iran while on a backpacking trip in Iraqi Kurdistan; they were held by the Iranian government for some time, the woman being released after a year, and the two men a year after that. Now, most of us would look at this misadventure with a mixture of contempt and disgust; who, we might wonder, could be this stupid?
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Well, someone that stupid may be stupid enough to vacation in Libya, too, despite the State Department’s clear warnings.
You can view the State Department’s official Libya travel warning here; you might summarize the State Department’s warnings about travel to Libya with one word: Don’t.
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