United States President Barrack Obama has remained defiant to pressure demanding him to recognize the Libyan rebel council as a legitimate government and support a proposed no-fly zone over Libya to protect Libyan freedom-fighters.
In the wake of the Libyan revolution, President Obama had stated that his administration would develop an approach aimed at fulfilling the end of the Gaddafi regime in line with the wishes of the people of Libya.
Though the Gaddafi’s regime is internally and internationally disliked, the plan to oust the Libyan strongman through a U.S.-led operation appears antithetical to Obama’s philosophy of non-bullish-involvement in sovereign nations.
However, President Obama who saw his philosophy pay off in Tunisia and Egypt is forced to reconsider his hopes in citizen-led resolutions as pressure to intervene mounts in Washington.
Obama has however stated that: “Mr. Gaddafi has lost his legitimacy and he needs to leave”, after rights groups reported thousands of people have been killed in Libya since Gaddafi’s crackdown of protesters launching air and land attacks against rebel-held areas.
Obama’s sentiments are however shared by Turkey and Germany. German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, who told reporters, a no-fly zone would constitute military intervention and that Germany, did not want to get dragged into a war. Turkey, the only Muslim member of NATO, has strongly opposed the plan, warning it could generate “dangerous results”.
Like the Obama administration, Russia and China also remain cautious about the prospect of military intervention. British however is ready to intervene. Prime Minister David Cameron advocates for action, saying Col. Gaddafi should not be allowed to continue “brutalizing his own people”.
The Arab League threw its support behind the proposal of a policy aimed at preventing Col. Gaddafi’s forces using warplanes to attack rebel positions. And France remains the only country to recognize the Transitional National Council as a legitimate representative of Libya.
With accusations by the Gaddafi regime that the West is trying to split Libya in order to exploit its oil, President Obama remains chary in his efforts to create a new image and name brand for America.
Nonetheless, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with representatives of the Libyan opposition group in Paris, on Monday, but Washington has not made a formal recognition.
