OUT OF THE CROSSFIRE: As a battle rages between pro-government forces and a renegade warlord in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the U.S. military has announced that a small contingent of American troops has “temporarily relocated” outside the country. “U.S. Africa Command will continue to monitor conditions on the ground in Libya, and assess the feasibility for renewed U.S. military presence, as appropriate,” said a statement released yesterday.

Reports from Benghazi and Tripoli this morning say the eastern militia calling itself the “Libyan National Army,” led by Khalifa Haftar, continues to mount an assault on capital, aided by airstrikes, as U.N. efforts to broker a ceasefire over weekend failed. The U.S. and the U.N. recognize the western government of Fayez Serraj, while the LNA backs a parallel government in the east.