BARACK Obama has aligned himself with David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy by committing to support military action in Libya until Colonel Gaddafi is gone, in an unprecedented joint article published today in The Times.
The leaders write that the world will be guilty of an “unconscionable betrayal” if the Libyan leader is left in place, putting the fate of citizens who have held out against the dictator in the hands of a merciless militia intent on revenge.
Colonel Gaddafi must “go and go for good” before the rebuilding of Libya can begin, they say, rejecting demands for an immediate ceasefire and a negotiated exit for the Libyan dictator, which could have left his family in charge.
As the conflict approaches the end of its first month there is still no sign of a breakthrough, with reports yesterday of explosions in Tripoli and the skies full of anti-aircraft fire. A defiant Colonel Gaddafi was seen driving through the streets in a heavily protected cavalcade, standing up through the sunroof of a vehicle, punching the air triumphantly.
Forces loyal to the Libyan leader laid siege to the port of Misrata, shelling the city through the day and killing at least 13 people, in what the the three leaders say is a “medieval siege … to strangle its population into submission”.
Mr Cameron, Mr Sarkozy and Mr Obama write today: “It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government. The brave citizens of those towns that have held out against forces that have been mercilessly targeting them would face a fearful vengeance if the world accepted such an arrangement. It would be an unconscionable betrayal.”
President Obama’s return to the forefront of the conflict, marks an important moment in the campaign and a tipping point that effectively commits the United States for the duration.
The intervention – in an article also carried today by The Washington Post and Le Figaro – comes after Mr Obama was criticised at home and abroad for his decision to hand control to Nato and pull American warplanes back from the front line. It also reflects a hardening of the resolve of the international community, after three days of meetings to discuss the stalemate.
Diplomats are considering how the language of the United Nations mandate can be stretched to accommodate a more active role on the ground. France asked the US last night to consider redeploying its warplanes to reinforce the mission.
The leaders say that they are committed to the military action until the end, in an attempt to stiffen the resolve of rebel factions and make clear that the opponents of Colonel Gaddafi will not be abandoned by the alliance.
“So long as Gaddafi is in power, NATO and its coalition partners must maintain their operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime builds … Britain, France and the United States will not rest until the UN Security Council resolutions have been implemented and the Libyan people can choose their own future.”
The leaders warn that Libya, left to its own fate, risks becoming a failed state.
The article began as a collaboration between Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy, coinciding with the Prime Minister’s trip to Paris on Wednesday to discuss the military action. A draft was sent to the White House as a courtesy, prompting a request from Mr Obama to add his name. Diplomatic sources said that only minor changes were made to accommodate him.
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