Kerry's statement on Qaddafi

[karynnj]

Qaddafi’s death marks the end of his reign of terror and the promise of a new Libya. The United States demonstrated clear-eyed leadership, patience, and foresight by pushing the international community into action after Qaddafi promised a massacre. Though the Administration was criticized both for moving too quickly and for not moving quickly enough, it is undeniable that the NATO campaign prevented a massacre and contributed mightily to Qaddafi’s undoing without deploying boots on the ground or suffering a single American fatality. This is a victory for multilateralism and successful coalition-building in defiance of those who derided NATO and predicted a very different outcome.

“Qaddafi denied Libya the basic building blocks of democracy and instead leaves behind a legacy of cruelty and international isolation. This is an extraordinary moment, but the days ahead will not be easy. The Middle East revolutions remind us that creating a free and tolerant political order is a more difficult challenge than removing a despotic one. The Libyan people have inspired the world with their incredible courage and fierce determination to be free. I urge the leaders of the Transitional National Council to begin the political transition to a permanent, democratically elected government. And I urge the international community to continue to stand with the Libyan people and support the creation of viable governing institutions.”

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published in March, Senator Kerry argued for NATO action saying, “The military intervention was not directly intended to force Gadhafi from power, but the international community will remain united in maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on a thug who has lost any legitimacy he ever possessed. There are many options and tools available to us to achieve our ultimate desire of seeing Gadhafi go. While it is impolitic perhaps to suggest it, I'd underscore that destroying his Soviet-era military capacity has been the biggest step towards that goal.”

http://kerry.senate.gov/press/release/?id=da3ac96f-57a2-4557-b792-558b9e81582c

The Boston Globe terms this a major foreign policy victory for Kerry, noting he was among the first to advocate early and clearly for the air campaign. (They do mention SoS, but it is good they are noting that he was an early proponent. )

The death of Moammar Khadafy in Libya represents a major foreign policy victory for Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an aspirant for the job of secretary of state in a potential second Obama term.

In the face of considerable skepticism, Kerry advocated early and clearly for the air campaign against Khadafy’s troops, which helped rebels take control of the country and and ultimately corner Khadafy in his hometown of Surt.

Kerry today issued a statement calling the turn of events the end of a “reign of terror and the promise of a new Libya.”

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/10/john-kerry-hails-end-reign-terror-moammar-khadafy-killed-libya/LO91Wl7rIJlBKrOcXj0Z5M/index.html

There is also an LA Times article with his reaction:

Kadafi’s death is a development that “marks the end of his reign of terror and the promise of a new Libya,” Kerry said in a statement.

Kerry, who was an early supporter of the NATO mission in Libya, cast Kadafi’s death as “a victory for multilateralism and successful coalition-building in defiance of those who derided NATO and predicted a very different outcome.”

“The United States demonstrated clear-eyed leadership, patience, and foresight by pushing the international community into action after Qaddafi promised a massacre,” he said in a statement. “Though the Administration was criticized both for moving too quickly and for not moving quickly enough, it is undeniable that the NATO campaign prevented a massacre and contributed mightily to Qaddafi’s undoing without deploying boots on the ground or suffering a single American fatality.”

Kerry warned that, “the days ahead will not be easy,” and urged the international community to, “continue to stand with the Libyan people and support the creation of viable governing institutions.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-kerry-libya-20111020,0,655396.story