US Cannot Confirm Rumors Gaddafi Shot; Oil Tumbles
Published: Thursday, 24 Feb 2011 | 3:07 PM ET
Text Size By: Reuters with CNBC.com
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The U.S. government cannot confirm rumors circulating online that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is dead, a senior U.S. official told NBC News, after oil traders cited a rumor that Gaddafi had been shot as reason for falling oil prices.
CNBC
Rumors swirled Thursday that Muammar Gaddafi, pictured here speaking last week, had been shot.
Asked if Washington had reason to believe that Gaddafi, who is seeking to crush protests against his 41-year rule in the oil-exporting North African nation, was dead, the U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "No."
Traders also cited earlier reports that Saudi Arabia was in talks with European refiners to make up for the loss of Libyan crude and rumors of a possible release of U.S. emergency oil stockpiles as weighing on oil prices.