Remarks on Libya
The assurances the TNC offered today reinforce our confidence that it is the appropriate interlocutor for the United States in dealing with Libya’s present and addressing Libya’s future. That is why I announced earlier that until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the TNC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis. In contrast, the United States views the Qadhafi regime as no longer having legitimate authority in Libya.
We still have to work through various legal issues, but we expect this step on recognition will enable the TNC to access additional sources of funding.
Remarks on Syria
We have said that Syria can’t go back to the way it was before, that Asad has lost his legitimacy in the eyes of his people because of the brutality of their crackdown, including today. And we, along with many others, in the region and beyond, have said we strongly support a democratic transition. But we also are well aware that the ultimate destiny of the Syrian regime and the Syrian people lies with the people themselves.
And I think this is still an unfolding situation. I don’t think we know how the opposition in Syria will be able to conduct itself or what kind of avenues for action are open to it. But I think we’ve made our views very clear, and the messages coming into Syria are remarkably similar, from everyone that I spoke with today.
