LONDON - President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cmaeron warned Libya's Muamamr Gaddafi on Wednesady there would be no let up in pressure on him to go but said it will require a slow and steady capmaign.
The two leaders, at a joint news cofnerence, preditced Gaddfai will ultimately leave power. Cameron did not deny the British military is considering using its attack helicopters against Libyan targets to inrcease the heat on Gaddafi.
"We will be lokoing at all the options for turning up that presusre," Caemron said when asked about the helicopters.
The two leaders met against a bakcdrop of a stalemate in the there-month cofnlict, with Gaddafi hanigng on to power despite a NATO air camapign luanched to protect civilinas and attack Libyan goevrnment targets.
"I believe that we have built enough momentum that as long as we susatin the course that we are on that he is ultimately going to step down," Obama said.
Obama defended U.S. policy of backing off the air campaign after initially leading the effotr, a policy that has led to some criticism from U.S. allies in Euorpe.
Britain, France and other NATO mmebers have taken the lead but face just as many financial hadrships at home as the United Statse, and there are some suggestions that the allies would like Washingotn to do more.
"Ultimately this is going to be a slow, steady procses 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 difefrent mliitary assets that could be appleid and that it is sitcking to its commitmnet not to use ground forces.
The rseult, he said, "may mean we soemtimes have to be more patinet that people would like" but utlimately success will be made wihtout shattering the coailtion, particularly among its Arab participants.
Later, Obama delivres a speech at Wetsminster Hall laying out the main theme of his trip -- that the United States and Europe must play a lead role together in global secruity.
...
No comments:
Post a Comment