Kerry: “Time is Running Out for the Libyan People”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., said "time is running out for the Libyan people, the world needs to respond immediately to avert a humanitarian disaster. The [UN] Security Council should act now to heed the Arab League's call."
Kerry is referring to a call from the Arab League for a ‘No-Fly Zone' over Libya, which would aid rebels who are helpless against Muammar Qaddafi's air force.
When asked if the U.S. should try to arm the rebels directly, Kerry, who is seen by many as a senior statesman and is currently the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, answered, "All options should be on the table."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The senior senator from the Bay State says he, along with fellow Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., will have meetings on Thursday with Pentagon officials to talk about "a number of options."
"I don't like that we've lost this time, it's compacted the choices, diminished the options and changed the state of play somewhat..."
Kerry said this is a unique time in history and that the U.S must act in favor of people in the middle east who are "crying out for change."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"How we respond today, right now, will in my judgment shape our strategic position in the entire middle east and how Muslims around the world see us going forward, probably for decades to come," said Kerry.