奥巴马总统就利比亚局势发表声明.doc

奥巴马总统就利比亚局势发表声明 The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release August 22, 2011 Statement by the President on Libya Blue Heron Farm, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts 2:20 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:? Good afternoon, everybody.? I just completed a call with my National Security Council on the situation in Libya.? And earlier today I spoke to Prime Minister Cameron about the extraordinary events taking place there. The situation is still very fluid.? There remains a degree of uncertainty and there are still regime elements who pose a threat.? But this much is clear:? The Qaddafi regime is coming to an end, and the future of Libya is in the hands of its people. In just six months, the 42-year reign of Muammar Qaddafi has unraveled.? Earlier this year, we were inspired by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya.? This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the region, from Tunis to Cairo.? In the face of these protests, the Qaddafi regime responded with brutal crackdowns.? Civilians were murdered in the streets.? A campaign of violence was launched against the Libyan people.? Qaddafi threatened to hunt peaceful protestors down like rats.? As his forces advanced across the country, there existed the potential for wholesale massacres of innocent civilians. In the face of this aggression, the international community took action.? The United States helped shape a U.N. Security Council resolution that mandated the protection of Libyan civilians.? An unprecedented coalition was formed that included the United States, our NATO partners and Arab nations.? And in March, the international community launched a military operation to save lives and stop Qaddafi’s forces in their tracks. In the early days of this intervention the United States provided the bulk of the firepower, and then our friends and allies stepped forward.? The Transitional National Council established itself as a credible representativ