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STATEMENT BY SENATORS McCAIN AND LIEBERMAN REGARDING THE ONGOING SITUATION IN LIBYA
March 8, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) today released the following statement regarding the ongoing situation in Libya:
“Earlier today, the spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State said that, because of the arms embargo imposed by UN Security Council Resolution 1970, it would be ‘illegal’ for the United States or any other country to provide military assistance to the opposition forces fighting for their survival against a brutal dictatorship in Libya. In fact, the text of the UN resolution does not impose an arms embargo on ‘Libya,’ but rather on the ‘Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,’ which is the self-proclaimed name of Qaddafi’s regime. We believe this language should be construed narrowly in order to hold open the possibility of providing military aid to the opposition, which presumably does not consider itself part of the ‘Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.’”
“The President has consistently and correctly said that ‘all options are on the table’ in Libya. If the State Department's statement today is correct, however, it means one of the most effective options to help the Libyan people has been taken off the table. We urge the Administration to clarify its position on this important issue.”
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