Who Owns The Oil Tanker That Was Involved In The Libyan Oil Tanker Dipsute?

A North Korean-flagged tanker is docked at the Es Sider export terminal in Ras Lanuf, Libya, March 8, 2014.

North Korea Denies Role in Oil Tanker at Rebel-Held Libya Port -- Voice of America

SEOUL — North Korea on Thursday denied any responsibility for an oil tanker that loaded crude from a Libyan rebel-held port and fled the OPEC member state's attempt to seize it, saying the vessel that carried its flag was linked to an Egyptian firm.

The incident marked the first sale of Libyan crude bypassing the government and was a huge humiliation for Tripoli as it struggled to rein in armed militias who helped oust dictator Moammer Gadhafi in 2011 but want to grab power and oil revenues.

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North Korea Is Denying Any Links To The Libyan Oil Tanker Dispute

North Korea disowns Libya oil tanker -- BBC
NKorea: No ties to tanker with suspected Libya oil -- Washington Post/AP
Korea Denies Role in Libya Oil Tanker Controversy -- Voice of America
N. Korea denies any link to Libya oil tanker -- Global Post/Yonhap News Agency
North Korea Says Egyptian Firm Controls Libya Oil Tanker -- Wall Street Journal
North Denies All Links to Rogue Oil Tanker -- Daily NK

My Comment: It is interesting that it took a few days for the North Korean government to make this announcement. I guess they were investigating to to see if this tanker was owned by a (cough cough) top official in north Korea.

This tanker is presently off the coast of Egypt. But what is intriguing about this story is that the Libyan navy did take a shot at this tanker .... and they did start a fire .... but according to the Libyans it was a US navy vessel that told them to back off and let the tanker escape. Now why would the U.S. do that?