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March 4, 2011

Obama Orders U.S. Military To Be Prepared To Act in Libya 
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Speaking in Washington, D.C., President Obama has publicly said for the
first time that Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi must leave office.
During a news conference Thursday, Obama said he has ordered the U.S.
military to be prepared to take action in Libya if needed.

President Obama: "There is a danger of a stalemate that over time could
be bloody, and that is something that we are obviously considering. So,
what I want to make sure of is that the United States has full capacity
to act, potentially rapidly, if the situation deteriorated in such a way
that you had a humanitarian crisis on our hands or a situation in which
defenseless civilians were finding themselves trapped and in great
danger."

President Obama also said that he has also authorized the use of U.S.
military aircraft for airlifts.

President Obama: "We are also responding quickly to the urgent
humanitarian needs that are developing. Tens of thousands of people from
many different countries are fleeing Libya, and we commend the
governments of Tunisia and Egypt for their response, even as they go
through their own political transitions. I have therefore approved the
use of U.S. military aircraft to help move Egyptians who have fled to
the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt. I have authorized USAID
to charter additional civilian aircraft to help people from other
countries find their way home. And, we are supporting the efforts of
international organizations to evacuate people as well."



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