Politics. On Point.

"One of the longest serving dictators is no more", said President Obama on the death of Moammar Qaddafi today in a White House rose garden speech. "This is a momentous day in the history of Libya."  In March of this year the president, delivering remarks to the Nation on Libya at the National Defense University in Washington said, "For more than four decades, the Libyan people have been ruled by a tyrant – Moammar Qaddafi. He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, and terrorized innocent people around the world – including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents." The president authorized military action to stop the killing and enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973. In a March, 2011 Weekly Address, President Obama said the mission in Libya " is succeeding ". Noting that Qaddafi called the people of Libya 'rats', the president, upon learning  that the Libyan leader ...

The President and Mrs. Obama welcomed Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Federal Republic of Germany to the White House yesterday with an official arrival ceremony to kick off her visit to Washington, the first ever for a female head of state. After lunches and meetings, the two leaders held a joint press conference in the East Room of the  White House where they remarked on the binding ties between the two nations. President Obama and Chancellor Merkel field questions from the media during a joint press conference. Photo/CD Brown. “We see our partnership in the courage of our service members who stand shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan, where Germans serve under Americans and Americans serve under Germans” He thanked Chancellor Merkel and the Germans for what he called their “strong commitment” to their service, adding, “We remember and honor them all." Both the President and Chancellor expressed their agreement on Qaddafi being removed from his post....

President Obama remarked once again on the current events happening in Libya. Said President Obama, "The Libyan government’s continued violation of human rights, brutalization of its people, and outrageous threats have rightly drawn the strong and broad condemnation of the international community. By any measure, Muammar el-Qaddafi’s government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable. These sanctions therefore target the Qaddafi government, while protecting the assets that belong to the people of Libya." Obama spoke earlier today with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, to discuss the situation in Libya and coordinate efforts to respond to developments and ensure appropriate accountability. The President stated that "when a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now." Going forward,...