President Barack Obama
Remarks by the President on the Situation in Libya
18 March 2011
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
2:22 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. I want to take this opportunity
to update the American people about the situation in Libya. Over the last
several weeks, the world has watched events unfold in Libya with hope and
alarm. Last month, protesters took to the streets across the country to demand
their universal rights, and a government that is accountable to them and
responsive to their aspirations. But they were met with an iron
fist.
Within days, whole parts of the country declared their
independence from a brutal regime, and members of the government serving in
Libya and abroad chose to align themselves with the forces of change. Moammar
Qaddafi clearly lost the confidence of his own people and the legitimacy to
lead.
Instead of respecting the rights of his own people, Qaddafi chose
the path of brutal suppression. Innocent civilians were beaten, imprisoned, and
in some cases killed. Peaceful protests were forcefully put down. Hospitals
were attacked and patients disappeared. A campaign of intimidation and
repression began.
In the face of this injustice, the United States and
the international community moved swiftly. Sanctions were put in place by the
United States and our allies and partners. The U.N. Security Council imposed
further sanctions, an arms embargo, and the specter of international
accountability for Qaddafi and those around him. Humanitarian assistance was
positioned on Libya’s borders, and those displaced by the violence received our
help. Ample warning was given that Qaddafi needed to stop his campaign of
repression, or be held accountable. The Arab League and the European Union
joined us in calling for an end to violence.
Once again, Qaddafi chose
to ignore the will of his people and the international community. Instead, he
launched a military campaign against his own people. And there should be no
doubt about his intentions, because he himself has made them clear.
For
decades, he has demonstrated a willingness to use brute force through his
sponsorship of terrorism against the American people as well as others, and
through the killings that he has carried out within his own borders. And just
yesterday, speaking of the city of Benghazi -- a city of roughly 700,000 people
-- he threatened, and I quote: “We will have no mercy and no pity” -- no mercy
on his own citizens.
Now, here is why this matters to us. Left
unchecked, we have every reason to believe that Qaddafi would commit atrocities
against his people. Many thousands could die. A humanitarian crisis would
ensue. The entire region could be destabilized, endangering many of our allies
and partners. The calls of the Libyan people for help would go unanswered. The
democratic values that we stand for would be overrun. Moreover, the words of
the international community would be rendered hollow.
And that’s why the
United States has worked with our allies and partners to shape a strong
international response at the United Nations. Our focus has been clear:
protecting innocent civilians within Libya, and holding the Qaddafi regime
accountable.
Yesterday, in response to a call for action by the Libyan
people and the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council passed a strong resolution
that demands an end to the violence against citizens. It authorizes the use of
force with an explicit commitment to pursue all necessary measures to stop the
killing, to include the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya. It also
strengthens our sanctions and the enforcement of an arms embargo against the
Qaddafi regime.
Now, once more, Moammar Qaddafi has a choice. The
resolution that passed lays out very clear conditions that must be met. The
United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Arab states agree that a
cease-fire must be implemented immediately. That means all attacks against
civilians must stop. Qaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi,
pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata, and Zawiya, and establish water,
electricity and gas supplies to all areas. Humanitarian assistance must be
allowed to reach the people of Libya.
Let me be clear, these terms are not
negotiable. These terms are not subject to negotiation. If Qaddafi does not
comply with the resolution, the international community will impose
consequences, and the resolution will be enforced through military
action.
In this effort, the United States is prepared to act as part of
an international coalition. American leadership is essential, but that does not
mean acting alone -– it means shaping the conditions for the international
community to act together.
That’s why I have directed Secretary Gates
and our military to coordinate their planning, and tomorrow Secretary Clinton
will travel to Paris for a meeting with our European allies and Arab partners
about the enforcement of Resolution 1973. We will provide the unique
capabilities that we can bring to bear to stop the violence against civilians,
including enabling our European allies and Arab partners to effectively enforce
a no fly zone. I have no doubt that the men and women of our military are
capable of carrying out this mission. Once more, they have the thanks of a
grateful nation and the admiration of the world.
I also want to be clear
about what we will not be doing. The United States is not going to deploy ground
troops into Libya. And we are not going to use force to go beyond a
well-defined goal -- specifically, the protection of civilians in Libya. In the
coming weeks, we will continue to help the Libyan people with humanitarian and
economic assistance so that they can fulfill their aspirations
peacefully.
Now, the United States did not seek this outcome. Our
decisions have been driven by Qaddafi’s refusal to respect the rights of his
people, and the potential for mass murder of innocent civilians. It is not an
action that we will pursue alone. Indeed, our British and French allies, and
members of the Arab League, have already committed to take a leadership role in
the enforcement of this resolution, just as they were instrumental in pursuing
it. We are coordinating closely with them. And this is precisely how the
international community should work, as more nations bear both the
responsibility and the cost of enforcing international law.
This is just
one more chapter in the change that is unfolding across the Middle East and
North Africa. From the beginning of these protests, we have made it clear that
we are opposed to violence. We have made clear our support for a set of
universal values, and our support for the political and economic change that the
people of the region deserve. But I want to be clear: the change in the region
will not and cannot be imposed by the United States or any foreign power;
ultimately, it will be driven by the people of the Arab World. It is their
right and their responsibility to determine their own destiny.
Let me
close by saying that there is no decision I face as your Commander in Chief that
I consider as carefully as the decision to ask our men and women to use military
force. Particularly at a time when our military is fighting in Afghanistan and
winding down our activities in Iraq, that decision is only made more difficult.
But the United States of America will not stand idly by in the face of actions
that undermine global peace and security. So I have taken this decision with
the confidence that action is necessary, and that we will not be acting alone.
Our goal is focused, our cause is just, and our coalition is strong. Thank you
very much.
END
2:31 P.M. EDT