Obama hopes resurgent Libyan opposition can topple Gadhafi

[Turborama]

Source: CNN International

By the CNN Wire Staff | March 22, 2011 9:59 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* President gives an exclusive interview to CNN's Spanish-language network
* Gadhafi could "hunker down" in the face of a no-fly zone, Obama concedes
* The president cites the humanitarian goals of the military mission

San Salvador, El Salvador (CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday expressed hope that Libya's opposition movement, given new protection by a U.S.-led military mission, can organize itself to revive broad enthusiasm for political change and oust Moammar Gadhafi from power.

In a 13-minute interview with CNN's Spanish-language network, Obama said the immediate goal of the U.N.-sanctioned military mission that began Saturday was to prevent an onslaught of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi by Gadhafi's military.

"Because the international community rallied, his troops have now pulled back from Benghazi," Obama said.

=snip=

He conceded that Gadhafi could "hunker down and wait it out even in the face of a no-fly zone, even though his forces have been degraded."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/22/obama.cnn.interview/index.html?hpt=T1

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More details and video clip of President Obama saying this at the link.

[joshcryer]

1. So do I.

Copying this to the Rev thread.

[ButterflyBlood]

2. Obama is dead on.

Gadaffi has been in power for 42 years too long.

[gateley]

3. I read a story about one of the pilots who parachuted out before their plane

crashed. He landed in a field and the local people were coming toward him. He raised up his hands and said "okay, okay" but the people said "don't worry - we're your friends - we are so glad you're here". That just moved me so much - I'd always heard that Libyans hated the West, especially America. I can't imagine what life has been like for them all these years. :(

[defendandprotect]

4. Not sure what they've done so far -- knocked out Gaddafi planes, runways?

Bombed any of his tanks -- or storage areas for weaponry?

Would be GREAT if the protesters could have enough cover so that they are

moving ahead as they were in the beginning -- dangerous enough!!

But would be heavenly if they could take Gaddafi into custody!!

[Fool Count]

5. That is just an exact replica of US Iraq policy.

Saddam was an evil dictator who "gassed his own people". So is Gaddafi now. Embargo and no-fly zone to protect the Kurds in Iraq -
Embargo and no-fly zone to protect the rebels in the East in Libya. All in hopes that live will get so bad for ordinary people that they
will depose their dictator themselves. Didn't work in Iraq. Why do they think it is going to work in Libya? If one continues with the same logic,
next thing on the agenda is declaring that Gaddafi was lying when he claimed to have terminated his nuclear program and invading Libya to
neutralize his WMDs. I guess that's the case of "why mess with what worked so great before".

[CJCRANE]

6. The difference in Iraq

is that there wasn't an active and ongoing uprising when we invaded in 2003. Iraq (including Kurdistan) was pretty stable at the time.

[frylock]

7. hope

[GeorgeGist]

8. Well, we all know what Obama's hope is worth. /nt