US is working with the Libyan opposition leaders on post-Gaddafi scenario in this North African country, the White House has said.
"We are working in a variety of ways to reach out to the opposition in Libya, to advise them on what a post-Gaddafi Libya would best look like," White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney told reporters yesterday.
"We believe that the government which is most responsive to the aspirations and grievances of its people will be the most successful," he said.
Carney said the consultations with the Libyan opposition are part of the US policy but at the same time categorically ruled out sending ground troops to Libya.
Defending the decision to start military operations early, he said it was taken to protect the people of the country.
"Colonel Gaddafi’s forces were about to move on Benghazi and wreak horrible damage and kill many, many Libyans, had the President waited for Congress to come back, had he taken more time to debate and consult on this issue, I think there’s very little doubt that Benghazi would have fallen and that many people would have died," he said.
More From This Section
"And the President believes very strongly that he made the right decision," Carney said.
Carney reiterated America’s position that Gaddafi needs to leave as he is no longer legitimate adding that "Libyan leader is menacing his own people, using violence against his own people."
The military mission that is described in Security Council Resolution 1973 goes beyond just the no-fly zone and it includes the civilian protection piece that enables the coalition to do more to protect civilians than the no-fly zone allowed in northern Iraq, he said.
"We are engaged in a host of actions, unilaterally and multilaterally, that are designed to put pressure on Gaddafi, to put pressure on those around him, with the aim that he will take the decision or those around him will take the decision that he has to go," Carney said.
"We don’t have crystal balls here and I can’t predict what the future will bring but we will stay focused on those measures even as the military mission reaches benchmarks of success and as the transfer occurs we will continue with those tools that we have to put pressure on Gaddafi and his regime," Carney said.