Separately, the US State Department on 24 November renewed a travel ban to Libya for all US passport holders. The ban was extended for 90 days. 'I have determined that Libya continues to be a country 'where there is imminent danger to the public health or physical safety of United States travelers,'' US Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote in the Federal Register. 'Accordingly, all US passports shall remain invalid for travel to, in, or through Libya unless specifically validated for such travel under the authority of the Secretary of State.' The shorter, 90-day extension - as opposed to the one-year extension - has been interpreted by some analysts as a softening in policy against Libya.