Floor Statements
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FLOOR STATMENT BY SENATOR McCAIN INTRODUCING THE SENATE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A NO-FLY ZONE IN LIBYA
March 14, 2011
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the following remarks on the floor on the U.S. Senate introducing the Senate Resolution calling for a no-fly zone in Libya:
“Mr. President: Today, my colleague Senator Joe Lieberman and I are introducing a Resolution on the situation in Libya – where at this moment, opponents of Colonel Qaddafi and his supporters are fighting for their very survival.
“The demands of the Libyan people began much like those of their neighbors in North Africa and the Middle East – for the protection of their universal rights, for greater political freedom and representative government, for justice and opportunity. But the response of Qaddafi, and those still loyal to him, stands in stark contrast to the inspiring events of what some are calling the ‘Arab Spring.’ Qaddafi has unleashed a merciless campaign of violence against the Libyan people, including civilian non-combatants, using every tool at his disposal – from artillery barrages, to air strikes, to the employment of foreign mercenaries. As President Bill Clinton correctly stated last week, ‘It’s not a fair fight.’”
“It is not a fair fight. And now the hour is growing dark. Over the past week, the momentum has increasingly shifted away from the opposition and toward Qaddafi – showing once again that a smaller, well-trained, well-equipped force can usually prevail over a larger, less-trained, and less-equipped force. One by one, towns that had been liberated by the opposition are now falling to Qaddafi’s forces. We are only now beginning to learn the savage cost of those losses, especially on the civilian population – the women, children, and elderly who could neither fight nor flee Qaddafi’s rampage… and of course, those brave Libyan rebels, or the many suspected of aiding their cause, who face certain death, or perhaps a fate worse than death. We are horrified by what we have learned already, but what we have yet to learn, and what we could still witness if Qaddafi’s forces are allowed to finish this unfair fight, will shock and offend the conscience of the entire world.
“Last week, in a hearing of the Committee on Armed Services, the Director of National Intelligence said that, absent outside assistance to the opposition, quote: ‘I think over the long term that the [Qaddafi] regime will prevail.’ And yet it is the policy of the United States, as stated by the President, that, ‘Qaddafi must step down from power and leave.’ That is the right policy, but it is increasingly at odds now with facts on the ground. So we face a stark choice: either the President takes greater action to achieve the objectives he has laid out – or he allows events to play out as they are, meaning that Qaddafi reclaims control of the country.
“The Resolution that Senator Lieberman and I are introducing calls on the President to take a number of steps immediately to reverse this impending disaster:
“First, the President should recognize Libya’s Transitional National Council, which is based in Benghazi but representative of communities across the country, as the sole legitimate governing authority in Libya – just as the government of France has done. Some continue to say that we do not know who the opposition is and thus we cannot assist them. This is ridiculous. They have been organized for weeks. Their senior leaders consist of longstanding critics of Qaddafi as well as officials who recently broke with his regime. And they are asking – pleading – for international support. Qaddafi has forfeited the right to power through his vicious actions; we must recognize the opposition government.
“Second, the President should take immediate steps to implement a no-fly zone in Libya with international support. Not only has the Libyan opposition government itself called for this. The Gulf Cooperation Council has called a no-fly zone. The head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference has called for a no-fly zone. And on Saturday, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone. The French and British governments have voiced their support and have drafted a UN Security Council resolution to implement a no-fly zone. It is long past time for the President to answer these calls for international leadership. A no-fly zone was never going to be the decisive action that tipped the balance against Qaddafi, even when Senator Lieberman and I called for it nearly three weeks ago. But it remains the case that a no-fly zone would take one of Qaddafi’s most lethal tools off the table, and thereby boost the confidence of Libya’s opposition. It is Libyans themselves who want to do the fighting against Qaddafi, but they want it to be a fair fight. So should we.
“Finally, the President should develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to accomplish the stated U.S. objective of Qaddafi leaving power. Beyond a no-fly zone, and beyond those actions like sanctions and humanitarian assistance that we are already taking, there are many actions that we could consider – from sharing intelligence on Qaddafi’s forces with the opposition, to providing them with support for command and control, to technical assistance and even forms of security assistance if they request it, and if we can provide it in a responsible way.
“Mr. President: Our window of opportunity to support the Libyan people is closing quickly. And this country has a choice to make. Are we going to take action to support the people of Libya in their fight for freedom? Or are we going to stand by, doing more than nothing but less than enough, to achieve our stated goal of Qaddafi leaving power? We all say that we support the universal rights of the Arabs and Muslims in countries across the Middle East and North Africa, who are inspiring us all in their quest for greater freedom, opportunity, and justice. But Libya is the real test. It is the test of whether we will provide our support not just when it is easy but when it is difficult – when it requires more of us than just speeches and expressions of solidarity. If Qaddafi is allowed to prevail in Libya and crush his opponents, it will send a signal throughout the region that force is the way to respond to peaceful demands for a better life – and it will cause all of our expressions of support for the universal rights of all people to ring far more hollow.”
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