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1、National Defense University, Washington, D.C. 7:31 P.M. EDTTHE PRESIDENT: Tonight, Id like to update the American people on the international effort that we have led in Libya - what weve done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us.I want to begin by paying tribute to our men and women in un
2、iform who, once again, have acted with courage, professionalism and patriotism. They have moved with incredible speed and strength. Because of them and our dedicated diplomats, a coalition has been forged and countless lives have been saved.Meanwhile, as we speak, our troops are supporting our ally
3、Japan, leaving Iraq to its people, stopping the Talibans momentum in Afghanistan, and going after al Qaeda all across the globe. As Commander-in-Chief, Im grateful to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and to their families. And I know all Americans share in that sentiment.For
4、generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and as an advocate for human freedom. Mindful of the risks and costs of military action, we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the worlds many challenges. But when our interests and values a
5、re at stake, we have a responsibility to act. Thats what happened in Libya over the course of these last six weeks. Libya sits directly between Tunisia and Egypt - two nations that inspired the world when their people rose up to take control of their own destiny. For more than four decades, the Liby
6、an people have been ruled by a tyrant - Muammar Qaddafi. He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, and terrorized innocent people around the world - including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.Last month, Qaddafis grip of fear appeared
7、to give way to the promise of freedom. In cities and towns across the country, Libyans took to the streets to claim their basic human rights. As one Libyan said, “For the first time we finally have hope that our nightmare of 40 years will soon be over.”Faced with this opposition, Qaddafi began attac
8、king his people. As President, my immediate concern was the safety of our citizens, so we evacuated our embassy and all Americans who sought our assistance. Then we took a series of swift steps in a matter of days to answer Qaddafis aggression. We froze more than $33 billion of Qaddafis regimes asse
9、ts. Joining with other nations at the United Nations Security Council, we broadened our sanctions, imposed an arms embargo, and enabled Qaddafi and those around him to be held accountable for their crimes. I made it clear that Qaddafi had lost the confidence of his people and the legitimacy to lead,
10、 and I said that he needed to step down from power.In the face of the worlds condemnation, Qaddafi chose to escalate his attacks, launching a military campaign against the Libyan people. Innocent people were targeted for killing. Hospitals and ambulances were attacked. Journalists were arrested, sex
11、ually assaulted, and killed. Supplies of food and fuel were choked off. Water for hundreds of thousands of people in Misurata was shut off. Cities and towns were shelled, mosques were destroyed, and apartment buildings reduced to rubble. Military jets and helicopter gunships were unleashed upon peop
12、le who had no means to defend themselves against assaults from the air.Confronted by this brutal repression and a looming humanitarian crisis, I ordered warships into the Mediterranean. European allies declared their willingness to commit resources to stop the killing. The Libyan opposition and the
13、Arab League appealed to the world to save lives in Libya. And so at my direction, America led an effort with our allies at the United Nations Security Council to pass a historic resolution that authorized a no-fly zone to stop the regimes attacks from the air, and further authorized all necessary me
14、asures to protect the Libyan people.Ten days ago, having tried to end the violence without using force, the international community offered Qaddafi a final chance to stop his campaign of killing, or face the consequences. Rather than stand down, his forces continued their advance, bearing down on th
15、e city of Benghazi, home to nearly 700,000 men, women and children who sought their freedom from fear.At this point, the United States and the world faced a choice. Qaddafi declared he would show “no mercy” to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict pun
16、ishment. In the past, we have seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day. Now we saw regime forces on the outskirts of the city. We knew that if we wanted - if we waited one more day, Benghazi, a city nearly the size of Charlotte, could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world.It was not in our national interest to let that happen. I refused to let
