Washington: Expressing her outrage at the
use of lethal force against peaceful protestors in Libya, US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has asked the Libyan
Government to take steps to end the violence.
"There is no ambivalence; there is no doubt in anyone`s
mind that the violence must stop and that the government of
Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of
all of its citizens and to support the exercise of those
rights," Clinton told reporters at a joint press availability
with Latvian Foreign Minister, Girts Valdis Kristovskis at the
Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.
Noting that the US is watching developments in Libya with
grave concern, she said America has joined with the
international community in strongly condemning the violence in
Libya.
"We believe that the government of Libya bears
responsibility for what is occurring and must take actions to
end the violence," she said.
Clinton expressed concern over the safety and well-being
of Americans in Libya right now.
"We are in touch with many Libyan officials directly and
indirectly and with other governments in the region to try to
influence what is going on inside Libya," she said.
"As we gain a greater understanding of what actually is
happening -- because the communication has been very
effectively shut down and we`re trying to gather as much
information as possible -- we will take appropriate steps in
line with our policies, our values and our laws.
But we`re going to have to work in concert with the
international community," Clinton said in response to a
question.
The State Department on Monday had ordered US embassy
family members and nonemergency personnel to depart Libya, and
they will depart over the next few days.
"The safety of all American citizens in Libya remains our
paramount concern. At our embassy we have approximately, you
know, 35 employees and their families who are affected by this
ordered departure," State Department spokesman P J Crowley
said.
US is having a number of conversations with the Libyan
authorities over the weekend and Clinton herself was engaged
with many regional and European leaders.
The Assistant Secretary of State Jeff Feltman had
multiple conversations over the weekend with Libyan officials,
including its Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa.
The US has been in touch with other leaders in the
region, and there is a united view here.
"We view the situation in Libya with grave concern,"
Crowley said.
At the same time, Crowley asserted that it is for the
people of Libya to decide on the nature of their governance.
"Just as we have said quite carefully in each of these
cases, it`s not for the US, you know, to choose the leader of
Libya or the leader of any other country. It is for the people
of Libya who are standing up and protesting the policies and
actions of their government," he said.
"Certainly we can see that there is a contrast between
the decisions made by Egyptian security forces in response to
these protests, and the contrast is very stark between the
responsibilities in government," Crowley said.
PTI
