BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libyans celebrated the liberation of the east of the country from the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, who has vowed to crush the revolt and on Wednesday was trying to assert his grip on the capital Tripoli, in the west.
Lying between Egypt and Tunisia, where a wave of Arab unrest has unseated two veteran presidents, the desert nation of six million which Gaddafi has ruled for 41 years seemed split in two, trapping thousands of foreign workers, jeopardizing oil exports and raising fears of tribal conflict and civil war.
The United States, which once branded Gaddafi a "mad dog" but had joined European powers in reconciliation to exploit Libya's oil wealth, said it might impose sanctions to help end violence which one European minister said may have killed 1,000.
President Barack Obama, who lacks the influence in Libya that U.S. aid gives him over some other Arab states, called for international unity to end the violence. He did not say Gaddafi should go, but said he would be held accountable for any abuses.
"It is imperative that the nations and peoples of the world speak with one voice," Obama told reporters at the White House in his first public comments on the 10-day-old revolt. "The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous," he said.
Long article with more details:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110224/wl_nm/us_libya_protests
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
