Obama: Gadhafi Must Accept “He No Longer Controls Libya”

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gaddafiPresident Obama repeated calls for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down and recognized the opposition leadership after rebel forces captured parts of the capital city Tripoli Sunday.

In a statement released Sunday evening the president said “the momentum against the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant.”

Obama again called on Gadhafi to relinquish power. “The surest way for the bloodshed to end is simple: Moammar Qadhafi and his regime need to recognize that their rule has come to an end. Qadhafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all,” the statement read.

Obama also announced that the United States had recognized the opposition Transitional National Council as “the legitimate governing authority” and urged them “to continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition.”

The president is on a ten-day vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, but White House officials said the president is receiving briefings from his national security advisors and monitoring the developing situation.

In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said “the President has received regular updates from John Brennan about the situation in Libya.”

“Shortly after 9pm EDT tonight, the President conducted a conference call with senior members of his national security team who briefed him on the dramatic developments there. The President asked that he continue to be updated as necessary and is scheduled to be briefed on this topic again tomorrow morning,” Brennan added.

Chief of Staff William Daley, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen were participants on the call.

The president first received word of the rebels’ advance into Tripoli at a briefing Sunday morning from Deputy National Security Advisor Brennan.

“We believe that Gadhafi’s days are numbered, and that the Libyan people deserve a just, democratic and peaceful future,” Earnest said Sunday afternoon.

Earlier Sunday a State Department spokesman also repeated calls for Gadhafi to stand down. “If Gadhafi cared about the welfare of the Libyan people, he would step down now,” the spokesman said as reported by the Associated Press.

According to reports Libyan rebels claimed to have seized areas of the Libyan capital Tripoli from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. The Libyan opposition also claims to have captured two of Gadhafi’s sons.

The White House said the administration was in close contact with Libya’s opposition.

In a press conference, a Libyan government official criticized NATO for the loss of life. “We hold Mr. Obama , Mr. Cameron and Mr. Sarkozy morally responsible for every single unnecessary death that takes place in this country,” spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said.

The government vowed the capital would be defended. “We have thousands of professional soldiers and thousands of volunteers protecting the city,” Ibrahim added.

Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) predicted it was a ‘matter of hours if not days’ until Gadhafi’s downfall.

McCain cautioned that Western nations would need to stay heavily involved, saying that the future of the country would be “up to us and the Europeans.” “We are going to have to help out a lot,” he said.

As events unfolded Sunday night, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) tweeted “The fall of #Tripoli, happening now, marks a historic turning pt. in the Arab Spring and a victory for the cause of freedom around the world.”

{The Hill/Matzav.com Newscenter}


7 COMMENTS

  1. Chof Gimmel Menachem Av marks six years since the tragic and untimely passing of Reb Shmuel Tanchum Shuchat OBM at the young age of 46 after battling a terrible illness, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

    Reb Shmuel is remembered by family and friends as cheerful and infectualy happy, “his good morning and smile brightened anyone that crossed his path” wrote a family member, and added “His beautiful, sweet voice that he was blessed with was not only used for himself, but also for the sick and to enlighten a Simcha that was in need.”

    19 years ago Reb Shmuel started a Minyan in the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical center, which he poured his life into, the Minyan continues to this day. This was but one small act of his selflessness which expanded in his Bikur Cholim [visiting the sick] and providing aid to the needy.

    Personally I would like to share my own memories of this great man. When my family and I lived on Lefferts Avenue I would see Reb Shmuel walking on Shabbos to the hospital where he would visit his mother. His voice was something special, as a young boy I remember him Davening as chazzan in the Shul, Beis Eliyahu Nochum on Lefferts.

    The following was written by a member of the family on the blog:

    From an early age, I learned the importance of discipline from my father. I watched my father, in all aspects of his life, walk on the proper Derech. Not only did he walk a straight path, never tempted to walk astray, but he made sure that we, his family followed suit. The values that he instilled in us remain with us-the two overwhelmingly most important were Emunah in Hashem and Chesed, giving to others.

    My father lived his life for his wife children and family, for Klal Yisroel and for every other living human being that Hashem created. As a Kiddush Hashem, one of the caregivers at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, where my father Davened every Shabbos, put it best, while placing a tiny rock on my father’s Matzeva, he declared that this rock is symbolic of my father’s devotion to even the littlest person.

    I chose to talk about Chesed first, since my father touched so many people throughout the years. His beautiful way warmed so many of us who had the good fortune of being in his presence. My father’s devotion to the sick people in the hospitals was marked by his regular visits to see them and sing for them. He especially concentrated his efforts on consoling those patients who were suffering from cancer or who were on life support machines and unfortunately had no family of their own to give them Koach.

    He was there when no one else was, he gave them the feeling that there was someone left who cared; his singing strengthed them, bringing tears to their eyes. That strength is what helped them fight that extra day. In addition, he was responsible for organizing the weekly Shabbos Minyanim for all the patients at Kingsbrook who were now able to enjoy full Shabbos services. He was also a patient advocate constantly fighting for their rights-constantly fighting for better care and treatment with more dignity.

    What was remarkable about my father was that he found the time to carry out all of this Chesed. He would come home from a long day’s work, tired and worn down. After eating a brief meal, he would gather the reserve amount of energy that he didn’t have and walk to the hospital. He never complained he was tired even though to all of us-he clearly was. He never thought about himself-the adrenaline rush of helping one more patient was his motivation. In the last few years of his life, when his fatigue was increased due to the beginning stages of his disease, ALS, his unrelenting nature persisted. He continued to visit the patients of the hospital and provide them with joy.

    On one trip to the Ohel, when my father was already in the advanced stages of ALS, he prepared a pan, a letter to the Rebbe, we were all shocked to learn that he asked Hashem to give him the strength to walk back to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Hospital.

    While he is suffering himself so much, most people would understandably think and ask only for themselves and their own health, he felt that his purpose in life was to help others and only wanted enough strength so that he could continue to carry out his duty on behalf of the patients. How inspirational he was!

    In addition to all the Chesed my father did, his general way was one of kindness, giving and empathy for people. He would greet complete strangers, Jewish or non-Jewish alike, and he would offer his help to anyone in his path that needed it.

    He opened his home to scores of children and people who had no other place to go. He used to take pride in the fact that people who came to his home felt so comfortable that they never wanted to leave. He truly executed the Mitzvah of Hachnasas Orchim, with happiness and excitement for each new person who walked through his door.

    My father’s unwavering faith in Hashem was so inspirational not only to us, but to anyone who visited him during his illness. He created an acronym for ALS, the deadly disease that paralyzed him, making it impossible for him to sing or eat and do Chesed. He decided that ALS meant Always Live Sweetly. While the disease was torturing him, he constantly smiled not letting anyone feel sorry for him. He always had a glow in his eye. He was more positive than ever, and his appreciation for every single visitor and visit was extraordinary.

    Whenever someone asked him anything related to his illness he always pointed his finger to Shamayim-whatever Hashem wants and took it with happiness. So strong was his Emunah in Hashem that even through a gruesome illness, his love for Hashem did not decrease-if anything his love for Hashem grew.

    There is a Pasuk that describes my father: “Mitzvah Buh Leyadcha Al Tachmitzenah” [Mitzvah that comes to your hands don’t squander it.]

    Whenever an opportunity of a Mitzvah came across my father, he did it right away with a big smile and an open heart -never postponed it,

    I want to leave all of you with a message from my father that I heard, and learned by example every day of my life-and that message is self sacrifice for the benefit of others. And even more so an unshakable Emunah in Hashem that even a disease like ALS could not change.

    I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank all of those people who supported my father and our family throughout those difficult times in our lives.

    MAY WE ALL MERIT TO SEE THE ULTIMATE REDEMPTION OF THE COMING OF MOSIACH AND TO SEE ALL OUR LOVED ONES ONCE AGAIN!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYkdgl5hwuc

  2. The foolish western world is dancing with all of these arab uprisings.

    In 2-3 years when all of these arab lands — mitzrayim, Libya, etc — are radical muslim countries like Iran, the western world will be scared.

  3. I see the Obama regime is ouforic over Gaddafi’s demise. Who are they expecting to fill the leadership vacuum? I see the Egyptian situation turned out to be a smashing succes. Such friendly piece loving people. Now the Arab street will have so much love & hakaras hatov to the West. Expect the price of gas to drop below $1 a gallon. Thanx Obama for becoming the go to leader of the whole world. Your doing a great job. The Arabs LOVE you.

  4. and off course..Americans now think that Lybia will turn into a wonrderful democracy like Israel by tomorrow noon….

    Americans have no understanding of the mentality of these people. they will replace one idiot and despot for another….remember Iran,Russia,Egypt, Haiti, etc etc etc

  5. Wouldn’t it be great in times like these is we could look and find some guidance from HKBH? But, we have no Navi, some we have nowhere to turn to know what to do.

    I would like to share a passage from a book that I have been reading lately. This is from the fifth book in a series, chapter 11, verse 22:25. This really has given me comfort in these unsteady times.

    “For if you will observe all of this commandment that I command you, to perform it, to love Hashem, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to cleave to Him, Hashem will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will drive out nations greater and mightier than you. Every place where the sole of your foot will tread shall be yours; from the wildness and the Lebanon, from the river, the Euphrates until the western sea shall be your boundary. No man will stand up before you; Hashem, your G-d, will set your terror and your fear on the face on the entire land where you will tread, as He spoke to you.”

    Isn’t it time to try something different?

  6. So who is in charge now? Benjamin Franklin?

    Dont we realize our President now works for the Saudis to do their bidding in the Middle East?

    IMPEACH OBUMMER!!

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