US Moves Warships Toward Libya, Freezes $30 Billion in Assets as Clinton Calls Qaddafi "Unfit to Lead"

Strategic Insights -

As the US administration ramps up its pressure on Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that all options were on the table, including a no-fly zone, to drive him from power. The US has begun moving warships toward Libya and frozen $30 billion in the country's assets, part of a rapidly accelerating Western response to the bloody clashes between rebels and loyalists. Clinton told reporters that Qaddafi had "lost the legitimacy to govern" and that it was time for him to go without further violence or delay.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US has moved warships toward Libya and frozen $30 billion in the country's assets as part of its diplomatic, economic, and military campaign to drive Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi from power.
  • Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that all options were on the table, including a no-fly zone, to drive Qaddafi from power.
  • Clinton stated that Qaddafi had "lost the legitimacy to govern" and that it was time for him to go without further violence or delay.
  • The US is conferring with allies about a potential military role in the humanitarian effort, with Pentagon officials saying that military aircraft and ships are being ordered to move into position closer to the Libyan coast.
  • The administration has set aside $10 million for emergency relief and is sending two teams of aid workers to Libyan border regions with Tunisia and Egypt.
  • Military aircraft and ships are being ordered to move into position closer to the Libyan coast, with a Navy aircraft carrier strike group and an amphibious landing vessel in the nearby Red Sea.
  • Administration officials are ridiculing Qaddafi's claims that he enjoys the support of his people, and are demanding his immediate resignation.
  • European officials are resisting military action, with Great Britain and Switzerland having already frozen Libyan assets and the European Union announcing further sanctions on Monday.
  • The US is seeking an international mandate for action, most likely from the United Nations or NATO, with no appetite for assigning ground troops to any mission.

Statistics:

  • $30 billion: the amount of Libyan assets frozen by the US Treasury Department.
  • $10 million: the amount set aside by the US administration for emergency relief.
  • 2: the number of teams of aid workers being sent to Libyan border regions with Tunisia and Egypt.
  • $: the amount of Libyan assets frozen by other European countries and banks under separate orders.
  • 4 decades: the amount of time Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi has been in power.

Sources:

  • "Clinton Seeks Ban on Muammar el-Qaddafi's Travel". The New York Times. 2011-02-28.
  • "US Moves Warships Toward Libya as Clinton Urges Qaddafi to Step Down". The New York Times. 2011-02-28.