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Subscribe to RSSTRIPOLI - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Tripoli Saturday, taking advantage of the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi in an eight-month civil war to become the first Pentagon chief to set foot on Libyan soil.
But Panetta has indicated that the U.S. will give more time to gain control of the militias that overthrew Gadhafi before determining how to help the fledgling government.
"The last thing you want to do is to try to impose something on a country that has just gone through what the Libyans have gone through," said Panetta on Friday before landing in Tripoli.
"They've earned the right to try to determine their future. They've earned the right to try to work their way through the issues that they're going to have to confront," he said.
Libya's weak interim government is struggling to assert control two months after the capturing and killing of Gadhafi.
Late Thursday the International Criminal Court said his violent killing may have been a war crime.
Panetta will meet with members of the transitional government in Tripoli on Saturday, and make an emotional visit to what historians believe is the gravesite of 13 U.S. sailors killed in 1804. Those deaths were caused by the explosion of the U.S. ship Intrepid, which was slipping into the Tripoli harbor to destroy pirate ships that had captured an American frigate.
While eager to encourage a new democracy that emerged from Libya's Arab Spring revolution, the U.S. is wary of appearing as trying to exert too much influence after an eight-month civil war. At the same time, however, leaders in the U.S. and elsewhere worry about how well the newly formed National Transitional Council can resolve clashes between militia groups in the North African nation.
Sanctions lifted
Ahead of Panetta's visit, the Obama administration announced it had lifted sanctions the U.S. imposed on Libya in February to choke off the Gadhafi regime's funds while it was violent suppressing peaceful protests. The U.S. at the time blocked some $37 billion in Libyan assets, and a White House statement said Friday's action "unfreezes all government and central bank funds within U.S. jurisdiction, with limited exceptions."
Recovery of the assets "will allow the Libyan government to access most of its worldwide holdings and will help the new government oversee the country's transition and reconstruction in a responsible manner," the White House said.
But the continuing violence in Libya, including recent skirmishes between revolutionary fighters and national army troops near Tripoli's airport, reflects the difficulties that Libya's leaders face as they try to forge an army, integrating some of the militias and disarming the rest.
Officials acknowledge that process could take months, and that they can't force the militias to go along.
Panetta told reporters Friday that his visit to the Libyan capital will give him a better sense of the situation and allow him to pay tribute to the people for bringing down Gadhafi and trying to establish a democratic government.
"It seems to me they are working through some very difficult issues to try to bring that country together," said Panetta. "It's not going to be easy. This is not a country that has a tradition of democratic institutions and representative government. This is going to take some work "
US to provide assistance
But he said he has seen indications that the Libyans are making progress.
"I think that any country like Libya that was able to do what they did and show the courage that they did in making the changes that took place there — I'm confident that ultimately they're going to be able to succeed in putting a democracy together," he said.
Panetta said the U.S. is prepared to provide Libya any assistance it needs.
By traveling to Libya, however, Panetta was highlighting the different approaches that the U.S. and other countries are taking with respect to rebellions against tyrannical leaders.
The U.S. and NATO provided months of military power and assistance to the Libyan rebels, but officials have made it clear they do not intend to do the same in Syria despite the furor over President Bashar Assad's crackdown on pro-reform demonstrators.
Panetta, who met with Turkish officials Friday, said they did not discuss any specific steps to increase pressure on Assad to step down.
But they talked about the need to work together with other nations to "get Assad to do the right thing."
At some point, he said, he believes that the type of uprisings that happened in Libya and elsewhere across the Middle East will take place in Syria.
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The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Oh yes! The oil!
I'm still pissed about the 13 killed, on the Intrepid! Nuke EM!!!!
Are you kidding? You don't know the history of the suicidal mission obviously.
Obama has allied the USA with war criminals and jihadists and I guess for oil or some other motive related to religion? Some say OBAMA IS A WAR CRIMINAL and should be impeached............''“Barack Obama is committing the same crimes [as Bush and Cheney], in fact worse ones in Afghanistan. Innocents are being slaughtered, we’re creating more enemies, he’s violating international law, he’s not constitutionally authorized to do what he’s doing, he’s using State secrets, he’s engaging in illegal surveillance, the CIA is running wild without any kind of circumsribed legal standards or disclosure . . . why don’t we say what’s on the minds of many legal experts; that the Obama administration is committing war crimes and if Bush should have been impeached, Obama should be impeached.”:ralph nader.......These ARE OUR ALLIES?......''Late Thursday the International Criminal Court said his violent killing may have been a war crime.'' Libya was none of our business and now it is a damn mess!
peacelover
You and I both know the only way to stop this madness is this . We must take back our government . We must get all of the specialinterest groups and money out of the election process. Next we must break up the military industrial complex . We also must get the banksters out of government . Once we have done that then OUR NEW CONGRESS Can go to work . Many laws must be changed or abolished . Going back to our ORIGENAL CONSTUTION IS OUR ONLY HOPE . All of this will take time but if we can't do this we are all TOAST.
bob
Relative competence of the two political parties and their leaders?
Let's compare two wars, Iraq and Libya.
Iraq - started by Bush and knowingly justified by lies, trillions spent, thousands of Americans dead and permanently injured, no terrorists in country before we went in (now infiltrated with al Qaida in Iraq), dictator gone but corruption still present in government, country destroyed, turning toward Iran for alliance, fundamental Islam in control.
Libya - not started by Obama, part of an international effort to avoid genocide, not much spent, zero American casualties, international terrorist and dictator and his entire corrupt government gone, country back on its feet, turning toward democracy, who knows what Islam will play in their future.
Now, lets talk about competence in the White House!
Competence in the White House???????????????? First lets find somebody with half a brain and an I.Q higher than an Amoeba and then we may be able to talk about competence in the White House. First though, we're going to have to see some. Personally, right now, I see no sign of the existence of intelligent life in the White House at this time.
Hey, patriotic wingbats - this is how you do it with integrity and intelligence! Take a lesson...
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
(Hilarious how all the hapless Bush supporters strive so hard, and fail repeatedly, to characterize The President as anything but brilliant)
The only successful international policies of the Obama administration have been the ones that he continued from Bush. Taking out terrorists. The continued efforts in Afghanistan. I give credit to Bush for being proactive against terrorists and to Obama for continuing. Go USA.
The Arab Spring, seems to be heading down the path of Islamists taking over, in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen. This is not my idea of success. That is the way Afghanistan went post Russia and look how that ended up. Taliban supporting Al Qaida and a few planes into US buildings.
Meanwhile, Iraq, with all its problems, entered into a nascent Democracy, as has Afghanistan after a US lead removal of the Taliban.
tex2c2
You don't come from Texas unless you came across the border. "Not much spent"? Yeah Obamanite, what is a few billions when we're broke to stick our nose in a place we have no national interest and the leader has cowed down finally and given up all his nukes? And hadn't tried to take over the oil fields of the neighbor just a little while ago.
Are you just a "volunteer" poster for Obama or are you really that stupid?
I think next year we wil have our Arab Spring.
Why is Panetta in Libya? Apparently it is because of pirates in 1804. And the problem with pirates is that they take profits away from merchants. That is why the English Navy was created, the merchants lobby leaned and threatened the King and his adviser's. All of whom were investing in cargo shipments, and getting massive returns, unless the ships sunk or the competition took them. So being upstanding citizens or kings they passed laws to make the people pay for the military to protect there assets. Nothing has changed, Panetta is in Libya to protect corporate interests at the peoples expense.
And that is a shock to you? Where do you get your vision of the role of government, the funny papers?
Simply doing his job (instead of hiding out in the Pentagon 24/7, a la Rumsfeld). Good try though, deerbubba...
Government protecting the interests of it's country's companies is neither new nor wrong. That is what countries do and should do. Because protecting companies is protecting people.
So how do we get him to stay in Libya and have that murderer never come back? You can have em nobody wants him here.
Wow Libya, along with the anarchy in Egypt, is American Nation building at it's best...didn't see this coming three years ago when Tzar Obama took office....seems the Progressives have taken a break from building at home and wish to impose their will on the broken and beaten in Libya...Would it be possible to export our Progressives to settlement in Egypt where they can have real challenges in inserting their values and points of view on a broken and needy population?
Please elaborate on your Tzar thingie. Why would progressives want to move to Egypt, we have plenty of religious extremism right here? Broken and beaten in Libya, you mean those folks who would be DEAD if it were not for NATO and US intervention?
And when he's finished decorating Libya the way he wants it, what next? Will he bring the Libyans here to settle and support too? Then what will his pet Mexicans do? Reminds you of a cat lady. Wants to take in every stray, with no concept on how he's going to feed them or where he's going to house them.
TeaHuh?
The old USSR called men like Gates and Panetta apparatchiks.
Panetta looks like Karl Maldens offspring. Sorry Karl, for the insult.
.
Is this visit the first step in the Obama administration to start sending moneys we have to borrow to Libya to clean up the messes made by his ordered bombing?
We have American kids living in cars, yet Obama still blows money on foreign wasted wars.
I am one of the majority who wants Obama gone, but the GOP group of Princess dwarf and the 6 remaining dwarfs look worse to me.
Where or when will some strong Democrat with the balls to stand up to GOP Congressional bullies step up to replace Obama on the ticket?
.
You clowns are pathetic.
Obama didn't order any bombing in Libya, it was NATO and the Arab league. The majority of the bombing was done by non U.S. NATO members with the U.S. providing command and control.
But, you know everything, because you weren't there, right?
My kid is one of those living in HER car. I don not feel a damn bit sorry for any of them. The families with kids should be our focus not a perfectly healthy, spoiled rotten, entitlement-minded college drop outs.
Be mindful, the GOP are not the countries enemy as it were. The loose cannons whose only intent to spend the countries riches with dictatorial overtones are who you'd better watch.
Actually, the currently-treasonous rightist GOP is the greatest threat to this nation, and is my primary enemy.
Are you putting them in the same catagory as Hanoi jane?
Is there a time estimate of how soon the US government will be able to set up a military base with land based missile in Libya? The US policy of a militray base in every Arab country within the next ten years is the latest goal of the US military, is there any truth to this.
The U.S. already had a military base in Libya. What became Wheelus Army Air Force Station (later Air Force Base) was captured from the Germans by the British in 1943 and later returned to the Libyans in 1970.
I highly doubt they desire to set up a base in every Arab country. The defense budget has just been cut too thin for that. They have however done a good job concentrating assets in Qatar and Bahrain.
Little Bush brought about regime change against a dictator who was not a sponsor of terrorism, or a real threat to the USA. Doing so, he lost thousands of our troops, stuck us with a trillion dollars of additional debt, and alienated most of the world.
Obama accomplished removal of a dictator in Libya (who had bombed our airliner) by supporting the Libyan people with a minimal expenditure, with no loss of American lives, and with the support of most people in most nations.
Now, we are positioned to build good relationships with Libya. We will continue to be detested by almost everyone in Iraq.
Are any of you dim-witted Republicans beginning to understand the difference in policy, and the difference in results?
What
Watch out, Panetta! One of those guys might try to shove a stick up yer butt!!
:D
So. Is that his job? Is Mr. Panetta the Secretary of State?
No, he's not. Then he needs to return back to his office and stop wasting United States tax dollars on frivolity or I will see to it that he is indicted for fraud.
Better return tonight in fact. We're watching. Take coach.
Sure is a lot of first time stuff going on with the pres and his followers andto think they still have another year to go.
It is no longer about oil but other investments, such as education, medical, technologies, military, and construction, e.g. sanitary system.
Selling them military zip wowees is second only to oil contracts. Nothing else really matters to the Americans.
"Panetta extends hand to Libya's new leaders"...Shaking hands with the enemy and too ignorant to know it.
Why do you say that? Bush Admin. people shook hands with Ghadafi 6 years ago.
Excellent. Now he should just stay there and take up residency with all our "close allies" in the region. No one will miss his brilliant work at home or around the world. Maybe he can summon or persuade a few congressional leaders to follow his lead and join him for an extended stay abroad. Perhaps he could find out why a Chinook transport was used to carry 30 elite Navy Seals to their early graves. Inside job? More than likely. Extend our national hand to those who would see us die with pleasure. This is great foreign policy.
"Panetta extends hand to Libya's new leaders" Which bodes well for the future of our friendship......
and for the future of the Middle East. And it is about time!
Obviously, the oil and selling US armaments to them are always the first American priorities nevermind running water nor electricity. Iraq under US occupation is the prime example.
The Old Protestant Cemetary where five 1804 USS Intrepid American hero crew have been left behind by the US Navy was just renovated mere days prior to Secretary Panetta's sudden visit. The media was prevented by officials from entering the cemetary before this belated site renovation and Panetta's visit suddenly took place. First the US Navy, Senator John McCain, and Congressman Buck McKeon, block the more immediate recovery of these American combat veteran's remains to their families, now Sec. Panetta gets duped into making it harder for them to finally come home. This top down effort aimed at defeating the will of these poor military families is sickening. Go here to see actual photos of the rundown cemetary and broken graves that were miraulously whipped into coverup tiptop shape: Do the right thing Leon---bring our war heroes home now!!!