LIBYA is now a safe haven for al-Qaida plotters, Defence Minister Mark Lancaster told Parliament this week.

Mr Lancaster admitted that the north African country’s “ongoing instability has provided greater freedom of movement,” allowing the terrorist organisation to “plan and co-ordinate activity.”

He added: “The Ministry of Defence does not routinely assess the strength of al-Qaida in Libya; al-Qaida has suffered losses and is not the dominant security threat in Libya, although it has long maintained a presence in the south of Libya.”