Hillary Clinton's statement, yesterday
Continued Attacks on Libyan Civilians
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 13, 2011
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The United States condemns the Qadhafi regime’s continued brutal attacks on the Libyan people in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for a stop to all attacks on civilians.
In recent days, we have received disturbing reports of renewed atrocities conducted by Qadhafi’s forces. Regime militias and mercenaries have continued their attacks on civilians in Misurata, indiscriminately firing mortar and artillery rounds into residential areas of the city.
The regime has reportedly destroyed crucial food supply warehouses and cut off water and power to the city, laying siege to the Libyan people in an apparent attempt to starve them into submission. Snipers have targeted civilians seeking medical attention, and thousands of civilians are being forced out of their homes by regime attacks with tanks and artillery. Regime officials have also made statements in the past two days promising to attack any humanitarian aid ships attempting to dock in Misurata port.
Under NATO’s command and control, the coalition is enforcing UNSCR 1973 to protect innocent civilians in Libya. The United States is also gathering information about Qadhafi’s actions that may constitute violations of international humanitarian or human rights law to make sure that they are properly documented and catalogued, and ensure that those who committed these atrocities are held accountable for their actions.
The international community continues to speak in one voice in support of a transition that leads to a brighter future for the Libyan people.
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Didn’t Prime Minister Gonzi say that he has put Mater Dei hospital at the disposal of injured people from Libya?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110414/local/day-surgery-unit-falls-victim-to-hospital-bed-shortage.359930
“North Korea with palm trees”:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/13/foreign-journalists-rixos-hotel-tripoli?CMP=twt_gu
Gaddafi pilfered billions of euros from the Libyan oil revenues and stashed them in his accounts in the democratic west, yet the people in Tripoli still support him. I just don’t understand this banality.
Don’t these people know what is right or what is wrong. What is good or evil?
Not everybody in Tripoli supports the regime. It is just that if anybody dares protest openly or otherwise they disappear. If from a total population of 6.4 million he has say 200,000 well paid and pandered supporters ready to do his bidding, then he can effectively control the rest.
Regimes do not really need a large amount of people to control a population. They do require fear and must show that they aren’t afraid to use torture, murder and force to have their way.
Gaddafi has lasted 42 years in this manner. He could have been a happy pandered old man in an oil rich nation.
Well said.
The socialist regime, Mintoff and KMB, brought total destruction on Malta during the atrocious 70s and 80s. And yet? In 1987 the PN just managed to win the general election by some 4000 votes. And three years ago, in spite of the prosperity generated by successive PN administrations, the PN only managed to scrape true. And today even though everyone knows that it was Joseph Muscat who was responsible for those youngsters who havbe lost their right to vote…we still have labour activists trying to put the blame on the PM.
Hilary Clinton said nothing that is not common knowledge already. Does she honestly think that her parole parole parole will seriously impress the Gaddafi family? Hardly.
In the meantime, civilians are still being massacred in Misurata or used as human hostages in Tripoli, and the plight of those trying to flee the country by fair means or foul worsens.
[Daphne – Mrs Clinton does not address Gaddafi, but the citizens of her own country and anyone else who cares to pick up the message.]
I’m going to raise a shitstorm here, but can we stop using ‘massacred’ unless the number of people violently killed at one go really merits the term? What we have in Misurata is some very sporadic artillery fire and a few exchanges of gunfire. Some people were injured, and a few were killed. Hardly a massacre.
Every crisis has its anoraks.
Do you think it matters to those being massacred?
The problem is one of relativity nowadays, defining the level of “massacre”. In the 1990s I would say that Srebenica was a massacre, but what is happening in Misurata and Ajdabiya should not be termed as such in my opinion.
I tend to agree with you. What we have here is people firing at each other with the obvious result that some are bound to get hit. Both sides are using weapons and both sides have their casualties, that is what you get in wars.
I have still to come across someone showing some feelings for those wounded and killed on the side of the Libyan army, they are humans as well. Or are they not?
I could say , ‘tell that to the parents ‘ but the crux of the matter is that if Misurata falls then Germany can go on sucking its thumb.
@U jien naf
What you have here is a government taking up arms against its own people (and coercing some of its own people to do its dirty job against their will) and people taking up arms in their own defence.
That is not quite the same thing, is it?
As to whether there is any concern for the wounded on Gaddafi’s side, you’re overlooking about the unsung heroes in clinics and hospitals working under the most horrendous conditions and sometimes coming under fire themselves.
@Ms DCG; Yep.You’re right. She was speaking for the “gallarija “unfortunately. :(
Why doesn’t Obama do something about it instead of condemning only?
IT IS IN OUR BACKYARD , so Europe should have the guts and political will to police its own sphere of influence . America is there but in the shadows . If Europe cannot handle this little war then her aspirations for a significant say in world politics are misplaced .
Parentheses: Would do you, Daphne, think of the assault on Ramla Bay?
Should the scenic spot be gobbled up by “developers”?
[Daphne – I tend not to be exercised by development issues. They just don’t capture my imagination anymore. I’m not following the issue at all. It’s not development that bothers me, but ugliness and terrible aesthetics.]
I realise that life must go on and all that but it does seem a little trivial to focus on the “assault on Ramla” when we are aware of the assault on Misrata and other Libyan towns.
Not at all.
Not that you are bothered, Daphne, but actually it is the building currently occupying the site which is ugly and excessively imposing. What is being proposed to replace it will be more attractive and will better integrate with the site. It will occupy the same site and include landscaping .
People like Reporter portray what is being proposed as an environmental disaster when in fact it will grealty improve the aesthetics of the area.
I sometimes wonder what the agenda of some so-called environmentalists is. Who is really pulling the strings?
Has anybody heard the rumours that the EU will soon be discussing a Code of Ethics for Commissioners? Any guesses why?
Don’t get too excited. Not too long ago, the entire Commission resigned en masse because of some financial scandal.
So why weren’t there any resignations this time round?!