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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today recommended several immediate measures the U.S. should adopt as part of its Libya policy. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rubio highlighted the United States’ “unique opportunity to forge a new path for our nation’s policies in the region.”
In the letter, which echoed his phone conversation with Secretary Clinton yesterday, Rubio wrote, “Actively helping the Libyan people achieve the inevitable end of the Gadhafi regime is in America’s interests and would ensure the Arab world knows the U.S. is laboring for their freedom.”
Among Rubio’s recommendations are: derecognizing the Gadhafi regime; following the arrival of the American envoy in Benghazi with the establishment of a “provisional” Embassy to assess opposition needs and to negotiate the terms of formal recognition; and shutting down Libyan state broadcasting, among several other ideas.
The full text of the signed letter is below.
Yesterday, Rubio also met with Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aulajli, the former Libyan ambassador to the U.S. who resigned his post in support of the Libyan people. Since defecting from the Qaddafi regime, Aulajli has been recognized by the Interim National Transitional Council as the Libyan people’s representative in the U.S. A photo of that meeting is available here.
April 7, 2011
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Secretary of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Clinton,
The Libyan people’s struggle against the Gadhafi regime gives the United States a unique opportunity to forge a new path for our nation’s policies in the region. I have urged the implementation of a clear strategy in Libya. Pursuant to our conversation yesterday, I encourage you to consider the following recommendations:
• The U.S. should derecognize the Gadhafi regime.
• Follow the arrival of the American envoy in Benghazi with the establishment of a “provisional” Embassy to assess opposition needs and to negotiate the terms of formal recognition, contingent upon assurances that a new Libyan Government will
• Be representative of the Libyan people and take demonstrable measures to protect the basic human rights of the Libyan people.
• Reject terrorism, cooperate with international counterterrorism and nonproliferation efforts, and abstain from destabilizing neighboring countries.
• Upon U.S. recognition, the U.S. should encourage other nations to recognize the Transitional Council.
• Commit the influence of the U.S. Government to mobilize international support for a post-Gadhafi government that ensures basic rights, provides basic services (including security) and provides for representative government.
• Upon recognition, provide at least partial access by the Transitional Council to frozen Libyan assets.
• Shut down broadcasting by Libyan state television and radio, if necessary by direct jamming and if possible by getting international satellite providers to cooperate.
• Enable opposition fighters to communicate independently of Libyan state telephone network.
• Provide non-lethal military supplies to opposition, including medical supplies, information and communications technology. Consider providing body armor, trucks, armored Humvees.
• Initiate discussions with the Transitional Council to mobilize international support both to remove Gadhafi and to prepare for a post-Gadhafi Libya – including international peacekeepers, and begin to obtain commitments for non-US forces to provide that support if needed.
Actively helping the Libyan people achieve the inevitable end of the Gadhafi regime is in America’s interests and would ensure the Arab world knows the U.S. is laboring for their freedom. I hope you consider these policy suggestions to set the groundwork for the much harder work of building a more prosperous and democratic Libya.
Sincerely,
Marco Rubio
United States Senator