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| Africa North |
| Panetta visits Libya |
| 2011-12-18 |
| TRIPOLI: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Tripoli Saturday, taking advantage of the ouster of Muammar Qaddafi in an eight-month civil war to become the first Pentagon chief to set foot on Libyan soil. But Panetta has indicated that the US will give more time to gain control of the militias that overthrew Qaddafi 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. 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 US sailors killed in 1804. Those deaths were caused by the explosion of the US 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 US 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 US and elsewhere worry about how well the newly formed National Transitional Council can resolve clashes between militia groups in the North African nation. Ahead of Panetta’s visit, the Obama administration announced it had lifted sanctions the US imposed on Libya in February to choke off the Qaddafi regime’s funds while it was violent suppressing peaceful protests. The US 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 US 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. 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 Qaddafi 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 “ 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 US is prepared to provide Libya any assistance it needs. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Dances on the damn tables... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2011-12-18 08:21 |
| #1 Dances on tables? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-12-18 06:40 |