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Obama in staunch defense of US Libya policy
President Barack Obama staunchly defended the US role in the international military mission in Libya Saturday, as he came under pressure to explain US goals to a public exhausted by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama's weekly radio and online address was his most detailed review of the UN-sanctioned action so far, and comes ahead of an address to the nation Monday on the US strategy in Libya.
"Make no mistake, because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians -- innocent men, women and children -- have been saved," he said.
When a leader like Libya's Muammar Gaddafi threatens a "bloodbath," and when nations are prepared to respond together, "it's in our national interest to act," he said. "And it's our responsibility."
"Every American can be proud of the lives we've saved in Libya," he said.
Conservative and liberal politicians have criticized Obama for joining what many say is an open-ended, ill-conceived operation to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.
Obama however emphasized that the US mission "is clear and focused."
"We're succeeding in our mission. We've taken out Libya's air defenses. Gaddafi's forces are no longer advancing across Libya," he said.
The UN Security Council mandated the no-fly zone, and an international coalition that includes Arab countries was protecting Libyans to prevent "further atrocities," Obama said.
A key part of the administration information blitz on Libya includes Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who are to appear Sunday on influential TV political talk shows.
Critics say that Obama has failed to define the Libya mission, and failed to first consult the US Congress, which has the sole authority to declare war.
Newt Gingrich, a possible Republican 2012 presidential hopeful, said he was "utterly confused" about the operation's goals.
"It's not a humanitarian mission. It's a mission to defeat Gaddafi," said Gingrich Saturday. "I've never heard of a no-fly zone that includes everything," he added, a reference to air strikes on Gaddafi's tanks.
The UN mandate on Libya is limited to protecting civilians, and does not cover overthrowing Gaddafi.
Gingrich however was panned for first criticizing Obama for not being more forceful in imposing a no-fly zone, even without UN approval.
As long as the United States is in the conflict "we better be in it to win it," former Alaska governor Sarah Palin said earlier on Fox News. "And if there's doubt, we get out."
Another possible Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, described Obama's lack of clarity on the Libya mission as "dithering."
In Congress, legislators like Republican Richard Lugar and Democrat Dennis Kucinich have called for a debate and vote on military action against Libya.
Obama briefed key congressional leaders -- included Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, Majority leader Eric Cantor, and Nancy Pelosi, the chamber's Democratic leader -- on Libya Friday.
After the briefing however Boehner said Obama "left some fundamental questions about our engagement unanswered."
Clinton, Gates, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US uniformed military officer, are later scheduled to offer a classified briefing for members of Congress on Wednesday.
In his Saturday address Obama emphasized that the US goals were limited, that "responsibility for this operation" would be transferred to US allies and NATO partners, and that no US ground troops would be sent to Libya.
"The United States should not, and cannot, intervene every time there's a crisis somewhere in the world," Obama said.
The president also repeated his warnings that Gaddafi, who has ruled Libya with an iron fist since 1969, must go.
"Muammar Gaddafi has lost the confidence of his people and the legitimacy to rule, and the aspirations of the Libyan people must be realized," Obama said.
Washington and its allies are looking into arming the Libyan rebels, the Washington Post reported Saturday. France strongly supports arming and training the rebels, the Post said.
The Obama administration believes the UN resolution authorizing intervention in Libya has the "flexibility" to allow such assistance, the newspaper reports, citing unnamed US and European officials.
US public support for the conflict is lukewarm: a March 22 Gallup poll showed that 47 percent of Americans surveyed approve of action against Libya.
The pollsters said this support "is lower than what Gallup has found when asking about approval of other US military campaigns in the past four decades."
Obama is scheduled to address the US public about the Libya strategy from the National Defense University in Washington at 7:30 pm (2330 GMT) Monday.
-Agencies-
http://www.alarabonline.org/english/display.asp?fname=\2011\03\03-27\zmainz\900c1.htm&dismode=x&ts=27-3-2011%2011:06:20
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