Libyans Have Shown Human Dignity Is Stronger than Dictators

22 August 2011

Crowds celebrate in Benghazi after news arrived that Libyan forces had taken over most of the capital, Tripoli.

President Obama said the 42-year reign of Muammar Qadhafi over Libya is coming to an end, and the country’s future is now in the hands of the Libyan people.

Speaking in an August 22 audio statement from Martha’s Vineyard, Obama told the Libyan people, “The Libya that you deserve is within your reach” following the capture of most of the capital, Tripoli, by Libyan opposition forces.

“Your courage and character have been unbreakable in the face of the tyrant. An ocean divides us, but we are joined in the basic human longing for freedom, for justice and for dignity. Your revolution is your own, and your sacrifices have been extraordinary,” Obama said.

The celebrations in Libya show “the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator,” he said, and “remind us that fear can give way to hope, and that the power of people striving for freedom can bring about a brighter day.”

The president also praised the international coalition of Arab countries, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States. The coalition was established in March to enforce a no-fly zone and an arms embargo across the country after the Arab League and the U.N. Security Council called for an intervention to protect the Libyan people from being massacred at the hands of Qadhafi’s security forces.

“The Libyan intervention demonstrates what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one” and “act together as equal partners,” Obama said.

He said NATO is “the most capable alliance in the world,” and its strength comes from “both its firepower and the power of our democratic ideals.”

The Arab members of the coalition “sent a powerful message about the unity of our effort and our support for the future of Libya,” Obama said.

With fighting continuing in some areas of Libya, the president called upon Qadhafi to reduce further bloodshed by “explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya.”

He also called upon Qadhafi’s opposition, the Transitional National Council (TNC), to “bring about a transition that is peaceful, inclusive and just,” and said the United States will be “a friend and a partner” in that effort.

U.S. officials are in close contact with NATO and the United Nations to determine the level of humanitarian need, and are “working to ensure that critical supplies reach those in need, particularly those who’ve been wounded,” Obama said.

Earlier August 22, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke with members of the Libya Contact Group, a coalition of Arab and non-Arab representatives that is leading international efforts to support the political transition in Libya. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the political directors of the contact group will meet in Istanbul August 25.

Clinton also telephoned TNC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil and expressed U.S. support for the Libyan people as they “begin a new chapter in Libya’s history,” Nuland said.

The secretary discussed ways that the international community can help Libya with the tasks of protecting civilians, providing key services, and assembling a new and inclusive government to replace the Qadhafi regime.

“This must be and will be a Libyan-led transition,” Nuland said.

She said U.S. officials were encouraged by Jalil’s calls for reconciliation among the Libyan people and for the country to be unified.

U.S. officials are “cautiously optimistic” as a result of what they’ve seen in the liberated parts of Tripoli so far, Nuland said. “We don’t need any more civilian life lost in Libya,” she added.

The TNC has stated that they intend to hold Qadhafi, his sons and other regime leaders accountable for their actions.

“This is going to be a decision that needs to be Libyan-led as we go forward,” Nuland said. “Our focus is that they be brought to justice, that accountability be had for their crimes and that the judicial process meets international standards.”