WHO SPEAKS FOR YOU?, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By William Reed

WHO SPEAKS FOR YOU?
While many have questioned whether Barack Obama was Black enough, in the 2008 elections 96 percent of African Americans cast their vote for him. Today, the question has re-emerged. In a recent critique, African-American scholar Cornel West stated that

The White House News: REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO PARLIAMENT Westminster Hall London, United Kingdom, Posted by Menelik Zeleke

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                              May 25, 2011

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

TO PARLIAMENT

Westminster Hall

London, United Kingdom

3:47 P.M. BST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

My Lord Chancellor, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, my lords, and members of the House of Commons:

Economic Support for the Middle East and North Africa, Posted by Meosha Eaton

The revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) provide an historic opportunity to meet the aspirations of a people long denied political freedom and economic opportunity. Economic modernization is key to building a stronger foundation for prosperity and showing people the fruits of democratic change.  The people of the region will choose their own paths to democracy and prosperity, with policies and programs that suit their circumstances.  That process may take years, as was the case in the transitions of Central and Eastern Europe.  From the beginning of this process and along the way, the United States will offer its support for economic modernization and development to those making the transition to democracy. 

Obama set for outreach to skeptical Arab world, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* "Arab spring" speech seeks to reset relations

* Arab disappointment likely on Israel-Palestinian issue

By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will lay out a new U.S. strategy toward a skeptical Arab world on Thursday, offering fresh aid to promote democratic change as he seeks to shape the outcome of popular uprisings threatening both friends and foes.

In his much-anticipated "Arab spring" speech, Obama will try to reset relations with the Middle East, but his outreach could falter amid Arab frustration over an uneven U.S. response to the region's revolts and his failure to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Bin Laden lived in Pakistan compound 5-6 years -US, Posted by Meosha Eaton

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY WITH GRAPHIC PHOTOS, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK FOR MACTV NEWS:

http://www.myafricachannel.tv/

Presidential Statement on Osama Bin Laden's death, Posted by Meosha Eaton

Obama, Congress struggle to find budget deal, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Obama says aides will work through night to get deal

* Boehner, Reid say differences have narrowed

* Fourth White House meeting in three days

* Midnight Friday deadline looms
* (Updates after Obama, Reid, Boehner talks)

By Richard Cowan and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and congressional leaders failed to reach a deal but narrowed their differences on Thursday in a bitter budget dispute that could lead to a government shutdown.

Obama said negotiators would work all night and he expects an answer on Friday morning on whether it is possible to avoid a government closure at midnight on Friday that would idle hundreds of thousands of workers and potentially put a crimp on the U.S. economic recovery.

He met for an hour with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner at the White House. It was their fourth meeting in three days.

"I'm not prepared to express wild optimism," Obama told reporters after the nighttime meeting, the second night in a row he has made an evening foray into the White House briefing room to talk about the difficult search for a budget deal.

Neither side seemed willing as yet to make the final compromise necessary for an agreement.

"We have narrowed the issues, however, we have not yet reached an agreement. We will continue to work through the night to attempt to resolve our remaining differences," Reid and Boehner said in a joint statement.

Democrats blamed the impasse on a Republican push for policy provisions that would block public funding of birth control and stymie environmental protection efforts.

But Boehner said the divisions did not stop there.

"There are a number of issues that are on the table. And any attempt to try to narrow this down to one or two just would not be accurate," he said.

Their deadline to avoid a shutdown: Midnight on Friday night. Some cable television news broadcasts included a shutdown clock ticking the time down. (Additional reporting by Kim Dixon, Donna Smith, David Alexander, Andy Sullivan, Thomas Ferraro and David Morgan; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Vicki Allen and Deborah Charles)

Obama, Congress leaders do not reach US budget deal, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and U.S. congressional leaders have "narrowed their differences" but have not reached a budget deal aimed at averting a government shutdown, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday.

Their statement came following an 80-minute meeting at the White House with Obama.

"We will continue to work through the night to attempt to resolve our remaining differences," the two leaders said in a statement. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Kim Dixon; Editing by Eric Beech)

Obama says, "We Have Agreed to $73b Cut", Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem for MACTV News

As fear of a government shut down looms in Washington D.C., President Barack Obama says the White House and Democrats have agreed to a $73billion cut originally proposed by Speaker Boehner.
Addressing White House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting between Republican and Democratic leadership at the White House, Obama pointed out that, “the only question is whether politics or ideology are going to get in the way of preventing a government shutdown.”

Giving details of the tripartite meeting, Obama said, “Speaker Boehner, Chairman Rogers, the Republican appropriations chairman -- their original budget proposed $73 billion in cuts. We have now agreed to $73 billion worth of cuts. What they are now saying is, well, we’re not sure that every single one of the cuts that you’ve made are ones that we agree to; we’d rather have these cuts rather than that cut. That’s not the basis for shutting down the government.

We should be able to come up with a compromise in which nobody gets 100 percent of what they want, but the American people get the peace of mind in knowing that folks here in Washington are actually thinking about them -- because they’re going through a whole lot of struggles right now.”
Responding to question of another short term budget, the President responded this way, “We did it once for two weeks, then we did another one for three weeks.

That is not a way to run a government. I can’t have our agencies making plans based on two-week budgets. I can’t have the Defense Department, I can’t have the State Department, I can’t have our various agencies on food safety and making sure our water is clean and making sure that our airports are functioning, I can’t have them making decisions based on two-week-at-a-time budgets.”

On the implication of all these on the American people, the President stated that at a time when the economy is just beginning to grow, where we’re just starting to see a pickup in employment, the last thing we need is a disruption that’s caused by a government shutdown. Not to mention all the people who depend on government services, whether you’re a veteran or you’re somebody who’s trying to get a passport or you’re planning to visit one of the national monuments or you’re a business leader who’s trying to get a small business loan. You don’t want delays, you don’t want disruptions just because of usual politics in Washington.

Pointing out that he is not ready to blame anyone in case of a government shut down, Obama said thw white House is ready to reconvene the meeting until a solution is arrived at.

According to him, “t right now we’ve got some business in front of us that needs to be done, and that is making sure that we are cutting spending in a significant way, but we’re doing it with a scalpel instead of a machete to make sure that we can still make investments in education; we can still make investments in infrastructure; we can still make investments what put the American people back to work and build our economy for the long term.”

Obama Regrets UN, French Military Action in Cote d’ Ivoire, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem for MACTV News

President Barack Obama on Tuesday reacted over the military action by the United Nations and French forces in Cote  d’Ivoire regretting that “the violence that we are seeing could have been averted had Laurent Gbagbo respected the results of last year’s presidential election.”

In a statement made available to MAC.TV, President Obama said that "the people of Cote D’Ivoire have suffered too much throughout this period of unrest,” and pointed out that, “to end this violence and prevent more bloodshed, former President Gbagbo must stand down immediately, and direct those who are fighting on his behalf to lay down their arms."

According to the President of the United States, to end this violence and prevent more bloodshed, former President Gbagbo must stand down immediately, and direct those who are fighting on his behalf to lay down their arms.

While commending Quattara’s pledge to ensure accountability for those who have carried out attacks against civilians, Obama the United States will continue to support a future in which Laurent Gbagbo stands down, and President Outarra and the government of Cote D’Ivoire can move beyond this current crisis and serve all of the Ivorian people. 

 According to the President, the United States joins with the international community in our deep concern about reports of massacres in the western region of the country, and the dangers faced by innocent civilians – particularly the most vulnerable, and all parties must show restraint and respect the rights of the Ivorian people.

 French and UN soldiers were engaged in operations in Abidjan Monday to "neutralize" weapons used against civilians by fighters for Côte d’Ivoire strongman Laurent Gbagbo, the French government said.

Under the auspices of UN Security Council resolution 1975, the troops "have engaged in actions aimed at neutralizing heavy arms used against civilians and UN personnel in Abidjan," said a presidency statement.

The objectives of the military action was not outlined in further detail.

"The secretary general of the United Nations, [Ban Ki-moon] requested the support of French forces in these operations," said the statement.

"The president of the [French] Republic [Nicolas Sarkozy] responded positively to this request, and authorized French forces... to participate in operations conducted by ONUCI (the UN mission in Ivory Coast) aimed at protecting civilians."

"France calls for the immediate cessation of all violence against civilians. The perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice," said the presidency.

MACTV NEWS

Gbagbo negotiating exit from Ivory Coast, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Gbagbo negotiating exit, spokesman says

* France says crisis over in hours

* Fighting in Abidjan eases after days of heavy firing

* Gbagbo troops to surrender arms to UN

(Adds Gbagbo troops to surrender arms to UN, Gbagbo spox)

By Tim Cocks and Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN, April 5 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo was negotiating the terms of his departure from power on Tuesday following a fierce assault by forces loyal to his presidential rival backed by U.N. and French helicopter airstrikes.

France said it expected a swift exit by Gbagbo, who had clung to power since refusing to concede he lost last November's presidential election to Alassane Ouattara, plunging the world's top cocoa-growing nation into renewed civil war.

"We are on the brink of convincing him to leave power," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told parliament in Paris.

A Gbagbo spokesman said the incumbent was negotiating the terms of his departure based on the recognition of Ouattara as president. The spokesman said the negotiations covered security guarantees for Gbagbo and his relatives.

"If everything goes well, we will have a declaration soon," Ahoua Don Mello told Reuters.

Ouattara was said to be Abidjan, with some media reports saying he was in a bunker below his residence.

Gbagbo's forces called for a ceasefire after being comprehensively outgunned in the end, and French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said the West African country's crisis could soon be over.

"We are in a situation where everything could be resolved in the next few hours," Longuet told a news conference.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Gbagbo to stand down immediately and order his fighters to lay down their arms.

The United Nations mission in the country said Gbagbo's army chiefs had asked their men surrender their arms to U.N. forces and seek protection.

Over the past week, forces loyal to Ouattara had launched a major assault on Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan, driving home their campaign to oust him.

A Reuters eyewitness said on Tuesday that calm had returned to the area surrounding the presidential palace after days of fierce machinegun and heavy weapons fire.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Ivory Coast, supported by the French military, had targeted Gbagbo's heavy weapons capabilities on Monday with attack helicopters after civilians were killed in shelling.

Attacks centred on military bases in the city, but also on rocket launchers "very close" to Gbagbo's Cocody residence, U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said on Monday. "It looks like Gbagbo is trying to negotiate his way out. What he can offer is another matter ... his negotiating position is much weaker than a couple of weeks ago," said Hannah Koep, Ivory Coast analyst at London-based consultancy Control Risks.

The conflict pushed cocoa prices lower on Tuesday as dealers bet on a swift end to Gbagbo's rule and a resumption of exports. The country's defaulted $2.3 billion Eurobond rose as the assault raised expectations for repayment.

FINAL ASSAULT

In the north of Abidjan, bullet-riddled bodies lay by the side of the main motorway near the largely pro-Gbagbo neighbourhood of Yopougon, evidence of recent fighting between Ouattara and Gbagbo forces, a Reuters witness said.

An armoured personnel carrier was pushed across the roadway, still in flames, and residents who had emerged from their houses to find water said they had heard machinegun and heavy weapons fire through the night.

The United Nations human rights office in Geneva on Tuesday expressed concern over the killings of dozens of civilians in Abidjan, amid reports of heavy weapons used in populated areas.

Gbagbo has defied international pressure to give up the presidency after an election last November that U.N.-certified results showed Ouattara won, rejecting the results as fraudulent and accusing the United Nations of bias.

More than 1,500 people are reported to have died in the standoff that has rekindled the country's 2002-3 civil war, though the real toll is likely much higher.

Several thousand pro-Ouattara fighters had entered Abidjan from the north on Monday in a convoy of transporters, pick-ups mounted with machineguns, and 4x4s loaded with fighters bearing AK-47s and rocket launchers -- in a "final assault".

(Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly and Mark John in Abidjan, Carolyn Cohn in London, and John Irish, Catherine Bremer and Vicky Buffery in Paris; Writing by Richard Valdmanis and Bate Felix; editing by Giles Elgood)

Afghan leader calls on US Congress to condemn Koran burning, Posted by Meosha Eaton

KABUL, April 3 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Sunday for the U.S. Congress to condemn the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist U.S. pastor and prevent it from happening again, his office said in a statement.

Karzai made the request at a meeting with U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the statement said.

Eikenberry read to Karzai from U.S. President Barack Obama's earlier condemnation of the Koran burning, the statement said, but did not include any response from the Afghan leader. (Reporting by Hamid Shalizi, writing by Emma Graham-Harrison)

Obama likely to announce re-election bid next week, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Obama ahead of rivals in polls

* Declaration would allow him to start raising money (Updates with poll figures, Labor Department report)

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is likely to announce plans next week to run for re-election and file campaign papers with the Federal Election Commission as early as Monday, a Democratic official said on Saturday.

Filing with the FEC would allow Obama, a Democrat, to start raising money for the 2012 campaign that is expected to shatter records in political spending.

The official said no final decision has been made about the timing of an announcement or filing.

Obama is in the middle of a budget battle with congressional Republicans and has focused his message in recent weeks on reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and investing in innovation and education -- themes he likely will highlight in his bid to hold on to the White House next year.

At the same time, Obama has been defending U.S. involvement in military operations in Libya.

Republicans are pressing Democrats to make deep spending cuts to shrink the U.S. deficit, another issue that could play a crucial role in the campaign.

The Republican field of presidential challengers is still wide open, however, and no one has formally announced a bid.

Obama is expected to avoid overt campaigning while his potential Republican opponents compete against each other.

But he has started doing some fundraising events for his party in recent weeks. Formally announcing his candidacy would allow Obama to start filling his own campaign's coffers directly, too.

The president got a boost on Friday with a Labor Department report showing a slight decline in the U.S. unemployment rate to 8.8 percent. An improving economy is seen as critical to his re-election hopes.

Opinion surveys show U.S. voters are split over Obama. A Real Clear Politics average of several polls showed 47.4 percent of Americans approving of his performance in office and 46.6 percent disapproving.

Poll averages also show Obama beating potential Republican rivals including former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Update: Obama calls killings in Afghanistan outrageous, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday described as "outrageous" the killings in Afghanistan triggered after the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist Christian preacher in the United States.

"The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," he said.

At least 10 people have been killed and 83 wounded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, officials said on Saturday, on a second day of violent protests over the actions of extremist Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20, according to his website.

A suicide attack also hit a NATO military base in the capital Kabul, the day after protesters overran a U.N. mission in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and killed seven foreign staff, in the deadliest attack on the U.N. in Afghanistan.

"No religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocent people, and there is no justification for such a dishonorable and deplorable act," Obama said.

"Now is a time to draw upon the common humanity that we share, and that was so exemplified by the U.N. workers who lost their lives trying to help the people of Afghanistan."

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Will Dunham)

Obama calls killings in Afghanistan outrageous, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday described as "outrageous" the killings in Afghanistan triggered after the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist Christian preacher in the United States.

"The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," he said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Will Dunham)

U.S. special envoy departs for meetings on Sudan, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Newly appointed U.S. special envoy Princeton Lyman will depart on Saturday for meetings in Ethiopia and Sudan on the transition of South Sudan to independence in July, the State Department said.

Lyman was scheduled to participate in discussions in Ethiopia on security in Sudan before meeting senior Sudanese officials in Khartoum on North-South issues and on Darfur.

Following that, Lyman was to return to Ethiopia for discussions on economic arrangements between North and South Sudan.

President Barack Obama appointed Lyman, a veteran U.S. Africa hand and former ambassador to South Africa and Nigeria, as special envoy for Sudan on Thursday.

Lyman said he would work on outstanding issues such as border demarcation, citizenship and division of oil revenue on his trip, as well as agreement on the disputed border region of Abyei.

The State Department also said Robert Loftis, the acting U.S. coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization in Sudan, was to depart on Monday to meet U.S. officials in Juba and governors in southern Sudan on security and stabilization priorities. (Reporting by Charles Abbott, editing by Anthony Boadle)

Obama Administration adds .2m Jobs in March, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem


WASHINGTON - The Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee said employment report shows that private sector payrolls increased by 230,000 in March, marking 13 consecutive months of private employment growth.

A breakdown shows that private sector employers added 1.8 million jobs over that period, including more than half a million jobs in the last three months.
The unemployment rate fell for the fourth straight month to 8.8 percent.

The full percentage point drop in the unemployment rate over the past four months is the largest such decline since 1984, and, importantly, it has been driven primarily by increased employment, rather than people leaving the labor force, he indicated.

According to him, as long as millions of people are looking for jobs, there is still considerable work to do to replace the jobs lost in the downturn. Nonetheless, the steep decline in the jobless rate and the solid employment growth in recent months are encouraging.

He added that the last two months of private job gains have been the strongest in five years.

“We are seeing signs that the initiatives put in place by this Administration – such as the payroll tax cut and business incentives for investment – are creating the conditions for sustained growth and job creation. We will continue to work with Congress to find ways to reduce spending, so that we can live within our means and focus on the investments that are most likely to help grow our economy and create jobs - investments in education, infrastructure, and clean energy,” he emphasized.

My Africa Channel Television found out that in addition to the increases last month, the estimates of private sector job growth for January (now +94,000) and February (now +240,000) were revised up significantly. Overall payroll employment rose by 216,000 in March. Payroll employment grew in almost every sector. Solid employment increases occurred in professional and business services (+78,000), education and health services (+45,000), leisure and hospitality (+37,000), wholesale and retail trade (+31,800), and manufacturing (+17,000). Local government experienced a decline of 15,000, and has shed jobs in 16 of the past 17 months.

The overall trajectory of the economy has improved dramatically over the past two years, but there will surely be bumps in the road ahead. The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and employment estimates are subject to substantial revision. Therefore, as the Administration always stresses, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report.

AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT INVADES AFRICA, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By William Reed, for Business Exchange

Saying that "It's time for Gadhafi to go," President Barack Obama joined a coalition of colonialist countries to invade Africa. Ignoring protests from leaders of the African Union, Obama partnered with NATO’s (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) league of neo-colonialists to “get Gadhafi”.

Black Americans would do well not to drink from the same cup of Kool Aid as has Obama. We should be aware that Western media’s characterizations of Gadhafi as “crazy” and “a brutal dictator” deserve due scrutiny. Mainstream media in NATO countries have played a major role in demonization of Gadhafi to get the acceptance across the world these imperialists’ intervention in a civil matter.

Black Americans would do well to not to drink from the same cup of Kool Aid as Obama; who ignoring the call of the African Union, joined with old colonialist powers to "get Gadhafi”. The West’s mainstream media is enjoined in telling the same ole story: that Gadhafi “is crazy”, “a brutal dictator”, that “this is not about oil” and that “we will be in and out quickly”. The corporate media has played a superb role piling on in the demonization of Gadhafi toward getting the world’s outright acceptance of the imperialists’ intervention in an internal and civil matter.

Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich said Obama has committed “an impeachable offense”. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said Obama should have a meeting with Gadhafi and that “you can’t order him to step down and get out, who the hell you think you are?”

Obama failed to notice the African Union’s caution that “Libya’s territorial integrity should be respected” and that “outsiders have armed Libya’s rebels to get access to the country’s oil”. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe called Libya “an African issue that should get its solutions from Africans and not from Europe and America” Mugabe was joined by South African President Jacob Zuma in saying that “the arming of the rebels in Libya by the Americans and other foreign western powers is a direct attack on African sovereignty and a clear demonstration of foreign interference”.


Where Libya’s revolts fuelled by economic issues as the media would have us believe? Black Americans are as foolish as Obama if they try to perceive what is happening in Libya within a Eurocentric perspective. Libya's system and the battle now taking place are outside of Westerners’ imagination. Libya’s young people are well dressed, fed and educated. Libyans earn more per capita than the British. Libya's wealth has been fairly spread throughout society. Every Libyan gets free, and often excellent, education, medical and health services. New colleges and hospitals are impressive by any international standard. All Libyans have a house or a flat, a car and most have televisions, video recorders and telephones.

Gadhafi has been target of aggression from the West since the 1980s. News coverage by Western media is oversimplified, misleading and stacked toward getting rid of Gadhafi. An array of anti-Gadhafi spokespersons, most living outside Libya, has been paraded in front of us. The media and their selected commentators have done their best to manufacture an opinion that Gadhafi is just another tyrant amassing large sums of money in Swiss bank accounts. In contrast to Western depictions, Libya utilized revenue from its oil to develop the country and its people. Instead of letting people know that Libya has one of the world’s highest standards of living, Western media and Obama will lead you to believe “we need to go save them”.

Before they endorse this move by Obama “to save the world” through military might, Blacks should ask themselves: “Which country has the bloodiest history of genocide, slavery, invasions, coups, installing and backing brutal regimes, bombings, massacres and mass destruction, including the use of nuclear weapons? Which government imprisons its own people, in particular its minorities, at the highest rate in the world? Do we want to continue these practices? America’s first Black President is proving himself “one of the boys” when it comes to participating in, and being a part of, imperialists’ interventions.

(William Reed is available for speaking/seminar projects via BaileyGroup.org)

Libya: Obama Writes U.S. Congress, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Williams Ekanem

President Barack Obama has written to the United Congress seeking support for the country’s involvement in the collation forces implementation of no-fly-zone in Libya.

In the letter addressed to the Congress and made available to My Africa Channel Television MAC.TV, Obama said, “ I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution. I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.”

Giving the specifics of U.S. involvement in Libya, Obama told Congress that, “the United States has not deployed ground forces into Libya. United States forces are conducting a limited and well-defined mission in support of international efforts to protect civilians and prevent a humanitarian disaster. Accordingly, U.S. forces have targeted the Qadhafi regime's air defense systems, command and control structures, and other capabilities of Qadhafi's armed forces used to attack civilians and civilian populated areas.

We will seek a rapid, but responsible, transition of operations to coalition, regional, or international organizations that are postured to continue activities as may be necessary to realize the objectives of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973.”

According to the President although Qadhafi's Foreign Minister announced an immediate cease-fire, Qadhafi and his forces made no attempt to implement such a cease-fire, and instead continued attacks on Misrata and advanced on Benghazi.

Qadhafi's continued attacks and threats against civilians and civilian populated areas, he pointed out are of grave concern to neighboring Arab nations and, as expressly stated in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, constitute a threat to the region and to international peace and security.

Qadhafi's defiance of the Arab League, as well as the broader international community moreover, Obama said, represents a lawless challenge to the authority of the Security Council and its efforts to preserve stability in the region.

“Qadhafi has forfeited his responsibility to protect his own citizens and created a serious need for immediate humanitarian assistance and protection, with any delay only putting more civilians at risk,” the United States President added.

As part of the multilateral response authorized under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973,Obama said that U.S. military forces, under the command of Commander, U.S. Africa Command, began a series of strikes against air defense systems and military airfields for the purposes of preparing a no-fly zone.

These strikes; he indicated, will be limited in their nature, duration, and scope. Their purpose is to support an international coalition as it takes all necessary measures to enforce the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973. These limited U.S. actions will set the stage for further action by other coalition partners.

“United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 authorized Member States, under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in Libya, including the establishment and enforcement of a "no-fly zone" in the airspace of Libya. United States military efforts are discrete and focused on employing unique U.S. military capabilities to set the conditions for our European allies and Arab partners to carry out the measures authorized by the U.N. Security Council Resolution,” Obama added.

Divided NATO tries again to define Libya role, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* NATO split on French, Turkish demands

* U.S. wants to step back from leadership within days

By David Brunnstrom

BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) - NATO tried again on Tuesday to resolve a fractious debate on who should command the military campaign in Libya once the United States steps back from leading the operation.

President Barack Obama, seeking to avoid getting bogged down in a war in another Muslim country, said on Monday Washington would cede control of operations against Muammar Gaddafi's forces within days and NATO would have a coordinating role.

But a heated meeting of NATO ambassadors on Monday failed to resolve whether the 28-nation alliance should run the operation to enforce a U.N.-mandated no-fly zone, diplomats said. The NATO council was meeting again on Tuesday to resume debate.

France, which launched the initial air strikes on Libya on Saturday, has argued against giving the U.S.-led NATO political control over an operation in an Arab country, while Turkey has called for limits to any alliance involvement.

Some allies were also now questioning whether a no-fly zone was necessary, given the damage already done by air strikes to Gaddafi's military capabilities, a NATO diplomat said.

"Yesterday's meeting became a little bit emotional," the envoy said, adding that France had argued that the coalition led by France, Britain and the United States should retain political control of the mission, with NATO providing operational support, including command-and-control capabilities.

"Others are saying NATO should have command or no role at all and that it doesn't make sense for NATO to play a subsidiary role," the diplomat said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu suggested that air strikes launched after a meeting in Paris hosted by France on Saturday had gone beyond what had been sanctioned by a U.N. Security Council resolution. [ID:LDE72L0JR]

"There are U.N. decisions and these decisions clearly have a defined framework. A NATO operation which goes outside this framework cannot be legitimised," he told news channel CNN Turk.

ITALIAN WARNING ON BASES

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini reiterated a warning that Italy would take back control of airbases it has authorised for use by allies for operations over Libya unless a NATO coordination structure was agreed. [ID:RMELEE7IO]

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said Britain or France could take charge of the air operation, or NATO could lead it, if sensitivities in the Arab League over working under NATO leadership were assuaged. [ID:nN20241921]

However, some analysts and NATO officials question whether France or Britain would be capable of coordinating a complex multinational air mission.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday that NATO should take charge of a no-fly zone, given its "tried and tested machinery in command and control". [ID: nHOC002230].

In arguing against a prominent NATO role, France has cited the alliance's poor reputation in the Arab world as a result of the war in Afghanistan and the perception that NATO is dominated by the United States.

Senior French analyst Francois Heisbourg said the best outcome would be to have NATO handle military coordination but hand political decisions to an ad hoc council of states participating in the coalition, including Arab countries.

Italy should be given an equal role with France and Britain because of its geographical location, interests in Libya and the key role of its air bases, he said.

"If Turkey sticks to its line, that would rule out a NATO role either politically and militarily," Heisbourg told Reuters. "If it lifts its objection, France would favour having NATO do the operational military coordination but not the political conduct of operations."

The nations leading the air campaign are all prominent NATO states, but NATO's operational role has so far been limited to expanded air surveillance.

Italian officials have described the current three-way command structure involving France, Britain and the United States and the resulting bombing campaign as "anarchic".

Italy's position reflects evident Italian annoyance with the attitude of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who led the diplomatic drive for the Security Council resolution.

Gianpiero Cantoni, head of the Italian Senate's defence affairs committee, was quoted in the Corriere della Sera daily as saying that French policy appeared to be motivated by a desire to secure oil contracts with a future Libyan government, while Italy would have to face a potential flood of refugees.

On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the mission should be limited to creating a no-fly zone and that Italian planes taking part would not open fire.

(editing by Paul Taylor)