Irish born White House foreign policy specialist Samantha Power said this week she believes President Obama’s two-year international campaign to promote human rights helped trigger the uprising in Libya against Moammar Gadhafi’s rule.
In a speech she gave on Monday at Columbia University Power, currently the director of multilateral affairs at the National Security Council, defended her strong support for the military operation against Gadhafi’s forces.
"The president has argued our interests and our values cannot be separated," Power told the university audience. "These values have caused the people of Libya to risk their lives on the street."
Power claimed that the president, through a series of speeches he gave in various foreign capitals, had made it easier for other nations to stand with the United States against home grown tyrants.
Power responded to a question on the military operation to impose a no-fly zone, saying that "force can be justified on humanitarian grounds"
To underline her point Power added that the international coalition had acted to protect the rebel-stronghold city of Benghazi because of Gadhafi’s ruthless attacks.
"On a single day, he killed 1,200 people on suspicion of being anti-government rebels," she said.
"To put Libyan events in historical perspective," she added, "in Libya, it took us nine days impose asset freezes and travel bans," while pressuring regimes in the Balkans and other places took years.
Last week The New York Times revealed that Power, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had countered reluctant military leaders to persuade president Obama to launch military operations against Gadhafi’s forces, under the guise of protecting civilians.
Clinton told the press on Sunday that "we learned a lot" from not doing enough to stop genocide in Rwanda and ethnic killings in the Balkans in the 1990's.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.casualMBA | Apr 04, 2011, 06:43 PM EDT
Let's see. We have Yale, Harvard, Libya, oil, genocide, Bosnia,Nobels, BP, the Queen's ownership of BP, Ivory Coast, Syria, Yemen, and, oh yeah, statespersons Clinton, Rice, and Power. And in this cauldron, just what is it we are bubbling? That's right! American foreign policy, or is it? We want to lead the world, but we do not want to admit it. Claim we lead the world, but not shoulder it. Save the world, but not get in the mix. Buy our oil on an open market, but not from repressive dictators. Honor our diamond commitments, but not take them from "blood diamond" fields. Some of these we might do.
blue8910 | Apr 04, 2011, 01:59 PM EDT
Sounds like she's a radical liberal just like her boss. Let's see how many people they slaughter in the name of justice. Why are we interfering in another country's civil war ?
AbNormal | Apr 03, 2011, 08:20 PM EDT
BP was a major campaign contributor to Kerry and Obama. my da always told me: just follow the money. adios ab lancaster, Taxifornia push 1 for English only in the USA got crude?
lefty201 | Apr 03, 2011, 06:11 PM EDT
isn't it funny that we bomb libya, but not the ivory coast? How about Syria? isn't the president of Syria killing his own people? Oh wait, certainly we plan on helping Yemen right? No? what about the fact that al-quieda is currently on the group helping the libyan rebels fight, thought they were our enemies. guess I must have been wrong again. isn't the mujahadeen considered a terrorist group? they were spotted in libya from what I und...wait no? so why are we in libya again? it couldn't possibly be the 50 billion dollar investment that BP made in the oil wells there right? BP....owned by the queen of Engla...no that's not right. Obama and his harlot wife, along with all of his "czars" need to be deported to the nearest communist nation, but it's the banking interests and the corporate interests that need to be dumped into the middle of the trash pile in our pacific ocean.
jamieLM | Mar 30, 2011, 06:28 PM EDT
Problems: Horrific cost to the American taxpayers. Some of the rebels may be Osama Bin Laden's good buddies. We might be helping Al Queda (sp) take over Libya. Our weaponry falls into the hands of Mommar or Bin Laden's friends. That's just for starters. Here we go again -Pres. Obama-Bush to the rescue. Does this really seem like a good idea????
SteelTown | Mar 30, 2011, 05:24 PM EDT
Why is it that the only citizens deemed worthy of US military intervention reside in a country awash in oil!
nicgearailt | Mar 30, 2011, 01:45 PM EDT
this is one ambitious woman...President Obama will need to keep a close eye on Samantha...she is clearly smart,and that is good,but she has plans for Samantha that may not serve her President, or her adopted country, well. She already lost her cool with Hilary..they have apparently made peace..Richard Holbrooke take a bow..from beyond... Obama does not need any more loose lipped helpers.... Libya has a ruthless dictator now who used to be our friend. He has no trouble murdering his own people..how could this evil man be allowed to stay in power all these years ? it is all because of oil....if anybody has doubts..get your head out of the sand!!! When will we listen to Tom Friedman...can we persuede him to run for office ?
jdi2269 | Mar 30, 2011, 12:19 PM EDT
POOR THING NEEDS TO GET OFF THE DRUGS!
JoeJamison | Mar 30, 2011, 12:09 PM EDT
Samantha Power is a disgrace. People of Irish background above all, should know something about imperialism. President Obama, our Nobel Peace Prize-winning warmonger, intends to visit Ireland in June. Irish antiwar activists have campaigned against the use of Shannon Airport by US troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2002. They have no intention of stopping during Obama's visit. They seek to ensure that they are not accused of being "anti-American". The Irish corporate media tend not to publish US public opinion polls that show 65% of the people of the US are against the war on Libya. Irish peace forces have contacted US peace groups and asked them to sign the following statement: "We support the Irish peace movement's campaign to terminate the use of Shannon Airport by US troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq" Email replies to: info@pana.ie Joe Jamison
pounder | Mar 30, 2011, 11:17 AM EDT
Thats right,let the good old USA get involved in somebodys else' civil war.
JimmieM | Mar 30, 2011, 09:43 AM EDT
Right…….the magnificent shine from the noble piece prize and the holy glow from the one and only The Obama has brought peace and tranquility to the world in just two years he has eclipsed the achievements of every person ever born on this planet…..next two years…..the entire universe.
francisquinn | Mar 30, 2011, 09:26 AM EDT
No wonder the Irish deported her....She is smoking something ???
MarthaAnne | Mar 30, 2011, 09:24 AM EDT
We cannot slay all of the dragons - we cannnot save everyone - but when it is within grasp it is foolish not to slay them. I vehemently opposed (still do) the Iraqi offensive, but I support this "war" because the people of Libya have OVERWHELMINGLY asked for international aid to get rid of this monster. Good for Obama and thank you Ms. Power!