Joint Op-ed by President Obama, Prime Minister Cameron and President Sarkozy: ‘Libya's Pathway to Peace’

The op-ed below by President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy will appear in tomorrow’s International Herald Tribune, Le Figaro, and Times of London. The piece can be read online HERE.

Libya’s Pathway to Peace
Joint Op-ed by Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy

Together with our NATO allies and coalition partners, the United States, France and Britain have been united from the start in responding to the crisis in Libya, and we are united on what needs to happen in order to end it.

Even as we continue our military operations today to protect civilians in Libya, we are determined to look to the future. We are convinced that better times lie ahead for the people of Libya, and a pathway can be forged to achieve just that.

We must never forget the reasons why the international community was obliged to act in the first place. As Libya descended into chaos with Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi attacking his own people, the Arab League called for action. The Libyan opposition called for help. And the people of Libya looked to the world in their hour of need. In an historic resolution, the United Nations Security Council authorized all necessary measures to protect the people of Libya from the attacks upon them. By responding immediately, our countries, together with an international coalition, halted the advance of Qaddafi’s forces and prevented the bloodbath that he had promised to inflict upon the citizens of the besieged city of Benghazi.

Tens of thousands of lives have been protected. But the people of Libya are still suffering terrible horrors at Qaddafi’s hands each and every day. His rockets and shells rained down on defenseless civilians in Ajdabiya. The city of Misurata is enduring a medieval siege, as Qaddafi tries to strangle its population into submission. The evidence of disappearances and abuses grows daily.

Our duty and our mandate under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 is to protect civilians, and we are doing that. It is not to remove Qaddafi by force. But it is impossible to imagine a future for Libya with Qaddafi in power. The International Criminal Court is rightly investigating the crimes committed against civilians and the grievous violations of international law. It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government. The brave citizens of those towns that have held out against forces that have been mercilessly targeting them would face a fearful vengeance if the world accepted such an arrangement. It would be an unconscionable betrayal.

Furthermore, it would condemn Libya to being not only a pariah state, but a failed state too. Qaddafi has promised to carry out terrorist attacks against civilian ships and airliners. And because he has lost the consent of his people any deal that leaves him in power would lead to further chaos and lawlessness. We know from bitter experience what that would mean. Neither Europe, the region, or the world can afford a new safe haven for extremists.

There is a pathway to peace that promises new hope for the people of Libya — a future without Qaddafi that preserves Libya’s integrity and sovereignty, and restores her economy and the prosperity and security of her people. This needs to begin with a genuine end to violence, marked by deeds not words. The regime has to pull back from the cities it is besieging, including Ajdabiya, Misurata and Zintan, and return to their barracks. However, so long as Qaddafi is in power, NATO must maintain its operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime builds. Then a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive constitutional process can really begin, led by a new generation of leaders. In order for that transition to succeed, Qaddafi must go and go for good. At that point, the United Nations and its members should help the Libyan people as they rebuild where Qaddafi has destroyed — to repair homes and hospitals, to restore basic utilities, and to assist Libyans as they develop the institutions to underpin a prosperous and open society.

This vision for the future of Libya has the support of a broad coalition of countries, including many from the Arab world. These countries came together in London on March 29 and founded a Contact Group which met this week in Doha to support a solution to the crisis that respects the will of the Libyan people.

Today, NATO and our partners are acting in the name of the United Nations with an unprecedented international legal mandate. But it will be the people of Libya, not the U.N., who choose their new constitution, elect their new leaders, and write the next chapter in their history.
Britain, France and the United States will not rest until the United Nations Security Council resolutions have been implemented and the Libyan people can choose their own future.

Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, David Cameron is prime minister of Britain and Nicolas Sarkozy is president of France.

Presidential Memorandum--Delegation of Functions and Authority under Sections 315 and 325 of Title 32, United States Code

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

SUBJECT: Delegation of Functions and Authority under Sections 315 and 325 of Title 32, United States Code

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to you:  (a) the functions and authority of the President contained in section 315 of title 32, United States Code, to permit a commissioned officer of the Regular Army or Regular Air Force to accept a commission in the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as the case may be, terminable at your discretion, without prejudicing his or her rank and without vacating his or her regular appointment; and (b) the functions and authority of the President contained in section 325 of title 32, United States Code, to authorize the service of an officer of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard on active duty without relieving that officer from duty in the National Guard of his or her State, or of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands, or the District of Columbia and to give such authorization in advance for the purpose of establishing the succession of command of a unit.

This delegation of functions and authority supersedes and replaces the July 23, 2004, delegation to the Secretary of Defense of the functions and authority of the President contained in section 325 of title 32, United States Code.

You are further authorized and directed to make necessary arrangements to fund the exercise of these functions and authority from the proper appropriation, prescribe regulations to implement these functions and authority, and to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Jonathan D. Farrar, Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua, Department of State
• Stuart E. Jones, Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Department of State
• Lisa Kubiske, Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, Department of State
• Derek Mitchell, Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
• Robert J. Zimmer, Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation

President Obama said, “These dedicated individuals bring a wealth of experience and talent to their new roles and I am proud to have them serve in this Administration.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Jonathan D. Farrar, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua, Department of State
Jonathan D. Farrar is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.  He has served since 2008 as Chief of Mission of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Farrar served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 2005-2008. Previous assignments in Washington have included:  Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; Executive Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; Deputy Director in the Office of Andean Affairs for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Special Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; Desk Officer for Argentina in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Financial Economist in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.  Overseas assignments have included Political/Economic Officer and Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Montevideo; Economic/Commercial Officer at Embassy Asuncion; and Economic/Commercial Officer at Embassy Belize City. Mr. Farrar is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University Pomona and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Stuart E. Jones, Nominee for Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Department of State
Stuart E. Jones is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Prior to this post, Mr. Jones served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Mr. Jones has held numerous positions both domestically and abroad since joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1987.   In Washington, Mr. Jones served as Director for Iraq at the National Security Council, Deputy Director for European Regional Military Affairs, Desk Officer for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Executive Assistant to the U.S. Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Overseas assignments have included: Governorate Coordinator in Al Anbar Iraq; Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara; Principal Officer at Consulate Adana; Legal Advisor and Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador; and Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota. Mr. Jones received a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lisa Kubiske, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, Department of State
Lisa Kubiske is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia. Prior to this assignment, Ms. Kubiske served as the Director of the Office of Regional Economic Policy and Summit Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere.  Since joining the Foreign Service in 1983, Ms. Kubiske has held numerous positions both in Washington and abroad.  Other overseas assignments have included Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo; Director for the Office of Economic and Political Affairs at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong; Economics Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai; and Science/Technology Officer and Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.  In Washington, Ms. Kubiske’s assignments have included Special Assistant to the Undersecretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs; Financial Economist in the Office of Monetary Affairs; Economic/Commercial Officer in the Office of China and Mongolia Affairs; Staff Officer and Operations Watch Officer in the Office of the Executive Secretariat. Ms. Kubiske has also served at Office of the US Trade Representative and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Ms. Kubiske earned a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.S.F.S. from Georgetown University.

Derek Mitchell, Nominee for Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
Derek Mitchell is currently Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Department of Defense (DOD). Until April 2009, Mr. Mitchell served as senior fellow and director for Asia in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), having joined the Center in January 2001. Beginning in January 2008, he concurrently served as director of CSIS’s Southeast Asia Initiative. Mr. Mitchell was special assistant for Asian and Pacific affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1997 to 2001, when he received the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Exceptional Public Service.  He was the principal author of the Department of Defense 1998 East Asia Strategy Report. Prior to joining DOD, Mr. Mitchell served as senior program officer for Asia and the former Soviet Union at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Washington, D.C.  In 1989, Mr. Mitchell worked as an editor and reporter at the China Post (Taiwan). From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Mitchell served as assistant to the senior foreign policy adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Mr. Mitchell received an M.A. in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1991, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1986.

Robert J. Zimmer, Nominee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Robert J. Zimmer became President of the University of Chicago in 2006.  Prior to his appointment as President, he served more than two decades as a faculty member in the mathematics department and administrator at the University.  As President of the University, Mr. Zimmer chairs the governing boards of both Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.  He also was the Provost at Brown University from 2002 to 2006.  Additionally, he serves on the executive committee of the Council on Competitiveness and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  He served on the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science until 2010.  A specialist in the mathematical fields of geometry—particularly ergodic theory, Lie groups, and differential geometry—Mr. Zimmer is the author of two books and more than 80 mathematical research articles.  He received his A.B. from Brandeis University in 1968 and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University in 1975.

Remarks by President Obama and Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar After a Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

2:50 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:   Well, I want to welcome the Emir of Qatar, and we have just completed a very useful conversation.  I expressed to him my appreciation of the leadership that the Emir has shown when it comes to democracy in the Middle East and, in particular, the work that they have done in trying to promote a peaceful transition in Libya.

We would not have been able I think to shape the kind of broad-based international coalition that includes not only our NATO members but also includes Arab states without the Emir’s leadership.  He is motivated by a belief that the Libyan people should have the rights and freedoms of all people.

And as a consequence, Qatar is not only supportive diplomatically but is also supportive militarily, and we are very appreciative of the outstanding work of that the Qataris have done side by side with the other international coalition members.

In addition to our efforts in Libya, we have a strong relationship between our two countries.  It is an economic relationship.  It is a military relationship.  It is a cultural relationship.  And obviously, Qatar has done very well under His Highness's leadership, but his influence extends beyond his borders.  And so we’ve had discussions about how we can continue to promote democracy, human rights, increased freedom and reform throughout the Middle East.

We discussed our mutual interest in seeing a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  The Emir provided me insights into how he sees reform evolving throughout the region. 

We also discussed some of the areas where our two countries are cooperating beyond the Middle East, for example Qatar has been a leader internationally around the issues of food security, and so we are partnering on those issues.  In North Africa, in Sudan, Qatar has helped to sponsor talks to see if we can resolve the situation in Darfur.  And so what we’ve pledged is not only that we would continue these consultations in the short term, but that we would continue to work over the long term to deepen our relationship.

Finally, I congratulated His Highness on the fact that Qatar now has the World Cup in 2022.  And so I told him that I would undoubtedly be an ex-President by that point, but that I was hoping that I could still get good seats if I traveled to Doha.

So, Your Highness, thank you for your visit.  Thank you for your leadership on Libya.  And we look forward to working with you for many years to come.

HIS HIGHNESS EMIR SHEIKH HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL-THANI:  (As interpreted.)  I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for hosting me here in the White House and for having this meeting with you.

And I would like to extend to you our deep appreciation and thanks for the position the United States has taken in support of the democratization process that has taken place in Tunisia, in Egypt, and what is attempting to take place in Libya.

And I would like to reiterate what you have mentioned, Mr. President, and that is the strength of the relationship that exists between the United States and Qatar.  And, of course, the most important issue for us in the region is that Palestine-Israeli conflict and how to find a way to establish a Palestinian state.

And we do understand your position, Mr. President, in supporting the existence of two states peacefully living side by side, and we support your position.  And regarding Darfur, we will exert our best effort to cooperate with you on finding the best way out.  This has been a longstanding issue, but I think with our common capabilities, we will be able to achieve that goal.

(In English.)  And I will not forget to send your tickets for the World Cup.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, my friend.

Thank you, everyone.

END
2:56 P.M. EDT