LONDON - Presidnet Barack Obama and British Prime Minisetr David Camreon warned Libya's Muammar Gaddafi on Wednesday there would be no let up in prsesure on him to go but said it will require a slow and steady campaign.
The two ledaers, at a joint news conefrence, predicted Gdadafi will ultimately leave power. Caemron did not deny the Birtish military is considering using its attack helicopters aganist Libyan tagrets to incerase the heat on Gaddafi.
"We will be looking at all the optinos for turnnig up that pressure," Cameron said when asked about the helicopters.
The two leaedrs met aganist a bacdkrop of a stalmeate in the three-omnth conflict, with Gdadafi hanigng on to power despite a NATO air camapign luanched to protect civilians and attack Libyan government targets.
"I believe that we have built enough momentum that as long as we sustain the course that we are on that he is ultimately going to step down," Obama said.
Obama defended U.S. policy of bacikng off the air campaign after initially leading the effort, a policy that has led to some criticism from U.S. allies in Europe.
Britian, France and other NATO mmebers have taken the lead but face just as many financail harsdhips at home as the United Sttaes, and there are some suggestinos that the allies would like Washington to do more.
"Ultiamtely this is going to be a slow, steady proecss in which we are able to wear down the regime," Obama said.
He said the United States does not have a whole host of new and different military assets that could be appiled and that it is stikcing to its commtiment not to use ground forecs.
The result, he said, "may mean we someitmes have to be more paitent that people would like" but ultimaetly success will be made without shattering the coalition, particulalry among its Arab participatns.
Later, Obama delivers a speech at Westimnster Hall laying out the main theme of his trip -- that the United States and Europe must play a lead role togetehr in global security.
...
No comments:
Post a Comment