US REACTION:US PRESIDENT Barack Obama yesterday publicly disavowed an assessment by his director of national intelligence, James Clapper, that "over the longer term" the regime of Col Muammar Gadafy "will prevail".
“He was making a hardheaded assessment about military capability,” Mr Obama said of Mr Clapper’s testimony before the Senate armed services committee. “I don’t think anybody disputes that Gadafy has more fire power than the opposition. He wasn’t stating policy,” the president said.
Mr Obama is coming under increasing pressure to assist Libyan rebels by declaring a no-fly zone over Libya. Senator John Kerry yesterday published an opinion piece in the Washington Post calling for an interdiction zone. On Thursday, former president Bill Clinton also said the US should support a no-fly zone.
At a press conference, Mr Obama was almost visibly torn between the desire to satisfy critics who say he’s not doing enough to overthrow Col Gadafy, and the danger of taking a rash decision. He reasserted his authority as Commander in Chief.
“I believe that Gadafy is on the wrong side of history. I believe the Libyan people are anxious for freedom and the removal of somebody who has suppressed them for decades now.”
The president announced a new element of the US response. In addition to secretary of state Hillary Clinton meeting with the Libyan opposition in coming days, he said: “We have determined that it’s appropriate for us to assign a representative whose specific job is to interact with the opposition and determine ways that we can further help them.”
Mr Obama said four times that the US wants Col Gadafy to step down, but he studiously avoided a commitment to military action. “I have not taken any options off the table,” he said twice.
Asked whether allowing Col Gadafy to stay in power was an acceptable option, Mr Obama replied: “When it comes to military actions, whether it’s a no-fly zone or whether it’s other options, you’ve got to balance costs versus benefits. I don’t take those decisions lightly.”
Despite his caution, and determination that the US act in concert with other nations, Mr Obama was confident that “we are slowly tightening the noose on Gadafy”.