President Barack Obama has said the violence and bloodshed in Libya must stop because they violate all international norms and standards of decency.
Obama, who spoke on the upheaval in the Arab country yesterday, said Gaddafi must leave, hinting that his administration would do everything it can to protect American citizens. “That is my highest priority. In Libya, we’ve urged our people to leave the country and the State Department is assisting those in need of support.
“Meanwhile, I think all Americans should give thanks to the heroic work that’s being done by our foreign service officers and the men and women serving in our embassies and consulates around the world. They represent the very best of our country and its values,” he said.
According to him, throughout this period of unrest and upheaval across the region, the United States has maintained a set of core principles, which guide its approach.
“These principles apply to the situation in Libya. As I said last week, we strongly condemn the use of violence in Libya. The American people extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all who’ve been killed and injured. The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya.
“These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop.”
He said that U.S. supports the universal rights of the Libyan people. “That includes the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and the ability of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. They are not negotiable. They must be respected in every country. And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression.
“In a volatile situation like this one, it is imperative that the nations and peoples of the world speak with one voice, and that has been our focus. Yesterday, a unanimous United Nations (UN) Security Council sent a clear message that it condemns the violence in Libya, supports accountability for the perpetrators, and stands with the Libyan people.”
The U.S. President disclosed that north and south, east and west, voices are being raised together to oppose suppression and support the rights of the Libyan people.
“I’ve also asked my administration to prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis. This includes those actions we may take and those we will coordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we’ll carry out through multilateral institutions. “
Obama said that the international community can most effectively support the peaceful transition to democracy in both Tunisia and in Egypt.
“So let me be clear. The change that is taking place across the region is being driven by the people of the region. This change doesn’t represent the work of the United States or any foreign power. It represents the aspirations of people who are seeking a better life.
As one Libyan said, ‘we just want to be able to live like human beings.’ It is the most basic of aspirations that is driving this change. And throughout this time of transition, the United States will continue to stand up for freedom, stand up for justice, and stand up for the dignity of all people,” Obama said.
Yesterday, Libyan rebels prepared for further attacks by forces loyal to embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi, as both sides struggled for control of a strategic coastal road and oil industry facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported Obama said he was concerned a bloody stalemate could develop between Gaddafi and rebel forces but gave no sign of a willingness to intervene militarily.
“Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave,” Obama said.
This is the first time he has called in public for Gaddafi to leave Libya, although he has urged his exit in written statements by the White House.
According to NAN, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez pushed a vague peace plan for Libya, saying he had spoken to his friend Gaddafi who had supported the plan for a negotiating commission, accusing the West of eyeing the North African nation’s oil.
The popular uprising against Gaddafi’s 41-year rule, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Middle East or North Africa, has knocked out nearly 50 per cent of the OPEC-member’s 1.6 million barrels of oil per day output, the bedrock of its economy.
The upheaval is causing a humanitarian crisis, especially on the Tunisian border where tens of thousands of foreign workers have fled to safety.
Meanwhile, the Agence French Presse (AFP) has reported that North Korea has stepped up its campaign to block information on pro-democracy protests in the Arab world for fear of disturbances among its own people, South Korea’s spy chief has said.
“North Korea, fearing an inflow of such news, has been strengthening ideological indoctrination through its media,” legislators quoted Won Sei-Hoon as telling a closed meeting of parliament’s intelligence committee.
“It has stepped up a clampdown on outside information to prevent public disturbances,” the National Intelligence Service chief was quoted as saying.
The hard-line communist state tightly controls access to the Internet and attempts to block other sources of information about the outside world. But DVDs and mobile phones smuggled from China have been eroding barriers.”
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