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Finally. Obama Breaks Silence on Libya but Doesn’t Say Much

Posted: February 23, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: A My Pet Goat Moment, Barack Obama, Foreign Affairs, Libya, Team Obama, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , , |44 Comments

Earlier today, Politico’s Glenn Thrush told us that President Obama would not be speaking about Libya. Period. That was apparently the word from press secretary Jay Carney this morning. That article has now been rewritten as an explanation for Obama’s slow response.

This evening, Carney announced that Obama would speak after all; and couple of hours ago, the President made what Al Jazeera termed “a strongly worded statement” (see video above) about the intense violence that has been unleashed on the Libyan people for the past few days and the resulting bloody carnage in the streets of Libyan cities.

I’m not sure why the President changed his mind about speaking. Perhaps it’s because they have managed to get American citizens out. Perhaps Obama finally realized he was be criticized all over the world for his lack of action.

So far the response to the statement hasn’t been that enthusiastic. The Washington Post wants to know why Obama was the last to speak about the situation in Libya.

By late Wednesday only one major Western leader had failed to speak up on Libya: Barack Obama. Before then, the president’s only comment during five days of mounting atrocities was a statement issued in his name by his press secretary late last Friday, which deplored violence that day in three countries: Yemen, Libya and Bahrain. For four subsequent days, the administration’s response to the rapidly escalating bloodshed in Libya was measured and relatively mild statements by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Administration officials explained this weak stance by saying they were worried about U.S. citizens, hundreds of whom were being extracted by ferry Wednesday afternoon. There were fears that the desperate Mr. Gaddafi might attack the Americans or seek to take them hostage. But the presence of thousands of European citizens in Libya did not prevent their government’s leaders from forcefully speaking out and agreeing on sanctions.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Obama finally appeared at a White House podium. He said “we strongly condemn the use of violence in Libya,” but he did not mention Mr. Gaddafi or call for his removal. He said the administration was preparing a “full range of options” to respond but didn’t say what those might be; he made no mention of the no-fly zone that Libya’s delegation at the United Nations has called for. He stressed that the United States would work through international forums – and said Ms. Clinton would travel to Geneva for a meeting of the notoriously ineffectual U.N. Human Rights Council, which counts Libya as a member.

[….]

Shouldn’t the president of the United States be first to oppose the depravities of a tyrant such as Mr. Gaddafi? Apparently this one doesn’t think so.

The New York Times also noted that Obama did not “castigate” Gaddafi, but they meekly explained that the President was worried about getting Americans out of Tripoli.

Mr. Obama made no mention of the Libyan strongman, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, reflecting the administration’s worry about the safety of American diplomats and their families in Tripoli, where a ferry meant to evacuate Americans was still stuck at the port, penned in by high winds in the Mediterranean. Mr. Obama has been coming under fire from critics who said he has not been tough enough against Colonel Qaddafi in the wake of the violent crackdown by pro-Qaddafi forces against demonstrators.

Chris Matthews apparently didn’t feel a tingle in his leg this time.

“This statement could have been put out by the first President Bush. It has the aspect of an Arabist statement. I shouldn’t be too strong here, but it doesn’t have any dignity. I mean – Ronald Reagan – to his credit, said ‘evil empire’ before the fall of the wall.”

Huh? Oh well, it doesn’t make sense, but he didn’t like the statement anyway.

At Foreign Policy, Peter Feaver is losing patience with the President. Based on Jay Carney’s lead-up to the statement, Feaver wrote:

I can think of only two plausible explanations for the weak White House response thus far:

Perhaps the Gaddafi regime is blocking the evacuation of U.S. citizens so as to intimidate the White House into making only muted statements — and this intimidation is working (note to President Obama, this is closer to what real hostage-taking feels like).

Or perhaps the administration is paralyzed with indecision because of debates between internal factions, some wanting a stronger Bush-like response and others wanting to stick with the Obama 2009 approach that guided the weak response to the Iranian post-election protests in June 2009.


What did you think of the “strongly worded statement?” Will we see any action in the near future?

44 Comments on “Finally. Obama Breaks Silence on Libya but Doesn’t Say Much”

  1. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    February 23, 2011 at 7:54 pm

    BB…Thank you for posting this!

  2. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    February 23, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    I think he is not criticizing Gadaffi because honestly, I would not put it past Gadaffi to blow that ferry out of the water…just to prove a point. He called Muburak by name, he won’t do this to Gadaffi? And this time he is sending Hillary to discuss the issue, not some emissary.

  3. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    February 23, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    Just heard on Al Jazeera that Italy says at least 1,000 Libyans have died and there is an “exodus of biblical proportions” from Libya into Italy right now.

  4. TheRock's avatar TheRock says:
    February 23, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    Great post BB! I’m truly not surprised by the White House response.

    Asshats.

    Hillary 2012

  5. Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
    February 23, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Thanks for the roundup of reactions, bb.

    I think Obama’s silence said more than this statement.

    • minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
      February 23, 2011 at 8:31 pm

      And I used to make fun of the look Bush gave when he found out about the WTC being attacked. That sort of deer in the headlights kind of thing. Obama silences speaks volumes to me, it does not surprise me in the least. This man did not make any real statement in his entire Senate career. (I am talking about taking a stand on any issue.) He is continuing the same sort of non-response attitude. Earlier I heard that his statement was “delayed” due to scheduling issues. B.S. He must have been hiding out in the W.H. bathroom while all this was going on.

      • Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
        February 23, 2011 at 9:09 pm

        Exactly–you don’t sound like you’re on Day 4, going on 5 of a migraine to me, though I’m sorry you are *Hugs*

      • Outis's avatar Outis says:
        February 23, 2011 at 10:56 pm

        I don’t mean to butt into this important discussion, but MM, you might want to look into the Specific Carbohydrate diet. Or an elimination diet. I know 3 people who have cured their migraines that way as well as a host of other symptoms. It’s amazing. Sorry to interrupt.

  6. grayslady's avatar grayslady says:
    February 23, 2011 at 8:25 pm

    The latest reports are that the EU and the US are considering sanctions against Libya. Personally, I think sanctions only end up hurting the citizens, not the politicians. Meanwhile, I’m crass enough to believe that the non-reaction reactions are all about Libya’s oil, not about how many Libyans are being slaughtered. Obama could be more forceful with Mubarak than with Gadhaffi because Egypt wasn’t sitting on a boatload of oil, whereas oil prices have already topped $100 per barrel based on Libya’s civil war.

  7. Dario's avatar Dario says:
    February 23, 2011 at 10:21 pm

    Obama didn’t come out for the demonstrators of Egypt until it was clear that everything would turn out alright, no change. It’s like backing the Yankees after the final out. Libya is a big unknown with the potential of a chaotic tribal civil war that could spill into Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. Obama never takes side when the winner is yet to be determined. Libya is the front page, but Yemen is almost as repressive as Libya, and will be front pages soon. Obama and Hillary would rather talk about Iran, where relatively speaking is a democracy and is quiet. It has not had the horrific mayhem of Yemen and Libya. But then, the U.S. has been participating in the mayhem of Yemen.
    Young UK man seeks roots amid the terror risks of Yemen

    Another group of people I will never forget meeting is survivors of the 2009 al-Majala air strike.
    According to the government, the intended target was a group of al-Qaeda terrorists. But those who were killed were ordinary people in the community of sheep farmers, including 35 women and children.
    I was told that the Yemeni government was not acting alone. The people here believe these missiles were American.
    I met some of the survivors at a secret location and they showed me pictures and told me stories that were so shocking I was physically shaking.

  8. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 23, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    Iran is a democracy? Give me a break. Ask the families who had their family members who have been killed or the Americans who are held captive. I am sure they would disagree,but I could be wrong. The head nut over there denies the Holocaust and their BS elections where the nut always wins. Ask Israel how quiet they are or they the woman they kill.

    You don’t lie forgein policy and neither do I, but I would never make excuses for the Iran.

  9. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 23, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    Lie is supposed to be like

  10. boogieman7167's avatar boogieman7167 says:
    February 23, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    – Ronald Reagan – to his credit,” said ‘evil empier.” i think he stole that NY yankess where know to as the evil empire to boston redsox fans long before ronnie showed up

    • Dario's avatar Dario says:
      February 23, 2011 at 11:58 pm

      RR used to narrate baseball back in the days when the plays were sent by wire. I think he talked about how he would embellish the plays. I’m not making that up.

  11. Pat Johnson's avatar Pat Johnson says:
    February 23, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    Obama’s response, or lackthereof, is based on two things:

    1. He has been campaigning for his second term since the day he took the oath of office and his concerns outside of that consideration, internal as well as global, have never mattered beyond that.

    2. He never spend enough time prior to winning the election by sharpening up his international skills and knowledge in the first place. That’s Hillary’s job, or someone else for that matter so don’t count on a “rapid response” until he finds a concensus.

    Besides that he must feel that his election alone would quell any anger felt throughout the world so of course uprisings would come as a surprise. This is The One after all.

  12. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 23, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    Dario wrote ” Obama and Hillary would rather talk about Iran, where relatively speaking is a democracy and is quiet. It has not had the horrific mayhem of Yemen and Libya”

    http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Neda-Teenager-Shot-Dead-In-Street-Becomes-Martyr-For-Iran-Protesters/Article/200906315313608

    • Dario's avatar Dario says:
      February 23, 2011 at 11:42 pm

      Sorry, but that’s old news, 2009 I think. Besides, I think recently there were three deaths. Relatively speaking, that’s paradise compared to Yemen and Libya.

    • Dario's avatar Dario says:
      February 23, 2011 at 11:53 pm

      Security forces have beaten, detained, and – in at least three cases – killed peaceful protesters — Secretary Hillary Clinton

      You can go to SOS Hillary Clinton and read her statement on Iran. There’s no mincing of words there. In Libya there have been over 1,000 deaths, maybe more. In Yemen, there have also been many deaths. We don’t know because it’s very difficult to get anything from that country. Saleh of Yemen has been in power and repressing the people since 1978.

    • Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
      February 24, 2011 at 12:15 am

      I agree with both of you. Obama et al. are obsessed with discussing Iran rather than Libya, Yemen, etc. Hell, the first word out of Biden’s mouth when Mubarak left was Iran. But that doesn’t absolve Iran, and Neda, I think is still a very powerful symbol–she’s everpresent in my mind anyway.

      • Dario's avatar Dario says:
        February 24, 2011 at 12:24 am

        WTV, I just linked the statement from Hillary. She says that 3 demonstrators were killed in Iran. I believe her. So Neda is old news compared to the three that just got killed. We don’t have the videos, but I think to their families, their deaths are not different than Neda. My point is simple: deal with the worst first. More people died in Bahrain than have died in Iran.

      • Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
        February 24, 2011 at 12:35 am

        Hi Dario, I’ve actually been making the same point about the Obama Admin and Iran before this thread, so I wasn’t disagreeing with you–I was agreeing with you. I wouldn’t call Iran a democracy, but I understood from the start what you meant by saying it relatively vis a vis the others. I also understand Jill’s point about Neda. I think she still matters and what happened to her was a precursor to a lot of stuff going on today. Of course Hillary isn’t going to lie about 3 demonstrators being killed in Iran. That’s obviously more current than the Green protests of 2009 and Neda, but if you look at it more broadly the demonstrators killed today and Neda are all part of an ongoing injustice. I still don’t agree with the Obama Admin focusing on Iran and not even being able to say Gaddafi’s name in the president’s statement today.

  13. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 23, 2011 at 11:55 pm

    Old news? Three deaths that we know of. Libya and Yeman are horrible and Iran is just as worse. Neda’s death is not old news to her family or the protesters now,it is only old news to those who make excuses for Iran and their killers.

    I did not agree with the way Hillary dealt with Egypt, I agreed with Powers. I agree with foxnews that we should shoot down Libya’s planes,because statements and other things will not work. Obama’s statement was weak,but he has an excuse because there are Americans still over there. But,once they leave there are no more excuses from anyone.

  14. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 24, 2011 at 12:01 am

    I have been reading about the genocide in Libya and Yeman. That still does not justify make excuses for Iran.

    • Dario's avatar Dario says:
      February 24, 2011 at 12:17 am

      I’m not making excuses for Iran. I’m aware of Iran’s work in developing nuclear capabilities. But Rafsanjani, a rather moderate politician was elected PM and stayed in power for close to 10 years. Libya or Yemen has not had the luxury of anything close to moderate. So, I don’t see why the Obama administration got its knickers in a twist over Iran when Yemen is much worse. Oh wait, I forgot, we need Saleh.

      • Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
        February 24, 2011 at 12:45 am

        So, I don’t see why the Obama administration got its knickers in a twist over Iran when Yemen is much worse.

        I think it’s partly as you said earlier, that Libya and Yemen are unknowns–powderkegs. And, we know Obama is a nowhere man, a weather wane. When he finally makes a move, he goes where the wind is already blowing. I think the other part of it is that going after Iran is the only thing that fits their pre-existing narrative and foreign policy agenda, and they’ve not adjusted any of that yet, but instead have locked themselves into just being stuck on the reacting end (i.e. not knowing how to react) to everything outside of that narrative/agenda.

      • Dario's avatar Dario says:
        February 24, 2011 at 1:01 am

        Yes. It almost feels like the administration wants to sound tough about what is going on, and unable to take a stand on the two most abusive regimes, beat up on the easy target: Iran.

  15. jiillforhill's avatar jiillforhill says:
    February 24, 2011 at 12:08 am

    Iran=Libya=Yeman

    How can anyone who listened to the doctor who tried to save her life or Neda’s father call it old news.

    I know you used relatively,but Iran and democracy should not be used in the same sentence.

  16. Dario's avatar Dario says:
    February 24, 2011 at 2:43 am

    If Saudi Arabia loses its stability, the U.S. economy is in trouble. I don’t believe we and the rest of the world can deal with expensive oil.

    Tyler Durden at Zerohedge.com quotes FT

    Hundreds of people have signed up to a Facebook campaign calling for a “day of rage” across Saudi Arabia on March 11, although it is not clear if any protests will materialise. Analysts said the late date suggested that activists wanted to give the government time to introduce reforms, and not a real desire to take to the streets.

    “We don’t want money,” a female student from Jeddah said on her Twitter feed. “I want to know that I’ll be protected under a written constitution for the rest of my short life.”

    • Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)'s avatar Wonk the Vote says:
      February 24, 2011 at 3:29 am

      I think it would help us in the long run (more than hurt us) to learn to live with more expensive oil and/or get more serious about alternative energy, but of course our president would never ask us to make *that* sacrifice.

      • Fredster's avatar Fredster says:
        February 24, 2011 at 3:48 am

        One of the things that bothers me about more expensive oil are the things other than fuel that we use it for: in manufacturing, all types of plastics, and in pharmaceutical production (I think I read that somewhere). If the price goes up too quickly (now at $100/bbl and I saw at one station it went up a dime overnight) we could trigger a nasty round of inflation. Just my opinion cuz Dak’s the expert on that.

  17. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    February 24, 2011 at 7:01 am

    I will not make excuses for Iran,they are no better than Libya. Iran should not get a pass because that hate Israel and the US.

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