Enough with the warnings, Obama finally sanctions Libya and Kadafi
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.
Going forward, the United States will continue to closely coordinate our actions with the international community, including our friends and allies, and the United Nations.
We will stand steadfastly with the Libyan people in their demand for universal rights, and a government that is responsive to their aspirations. Their human dignity cannot be denied. ####
EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKING PROPERTY AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO LIBYA
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the
...United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, find that Colonel Muammar Qadhafi, his government, and close associates have taken extreme measures against the people of Libya, including by using weapons of war, mercenaries, and wanton violence against unarmed civilians.
I further find that there is a serious risk that Libyan state assets will be misappropriated by Qadhafi, members of his government, members of his family, or his close associates if those assets are not protected.
The foregoing circumstances, the prolonged attacks, and the increased numbers of Libyans seeking refuge in other countries from the attacks, have caused a deterioration in the security of Libya and pose a serious risk to its stability, thereby constituting an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat.
I hereby order:
Section 1. All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise
dealt in:
(a) the persons listed in the Annex to this order; and (b) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
(i) to be a senior official of the Government of Libya; (ii) to be a child of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi; (iii) to be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or to have participated in, the commission of human rights abuses related to political repression in Libya; (iv) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of the activities described in subsection (b)(iii) of this section or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; (v) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or (vi) to be a spouse or dependent child of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.
Sec. 2. All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the Government of Libya, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities, and the Central Bank of Libya, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.
Sec. 3. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.
Sec. 4. I hereby determine that, to the extent section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) may apply, the making of donations of the type of articles specified in such section by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to sections 1 and 2 of this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by sections 1 and 2 of this order.
Sec. 5. The prohibitions in sections 1 and 2 of this order include but are not limited to:
(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and (b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Sec. 6. The prohibitions in sections 1 and 2 of this order apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.
Sec. 7. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is nprohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 8. Nothing in this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof.
Sec. 9. For the purposes of this order:
(a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;
(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and
c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen or national, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order.
The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 11. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.
Sec. 12. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit the recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 13. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Sec. 14. This order is effective at 8:00 p.m. eastern standard time on February 25, 2011.
/s/ BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 25, 2011
Related:
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Next, Obama warns Libya: 'This violence must stop'
Now, Obama warns Bahrain, Yemen and Libya
Obama warns Egypt's Mubarak: 'No going back'
Obama warns Mubarak: 'Suppressing ideas never makes them go away'
Photos: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times (Anti-government protestor celebrates with an AK-47 after Friday prayers in Agedabya); Atta Kanare / AFP / Getty Images (Iranians protest Obama and the Saudi king over Libya stances); Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images (Obama and Hillary Clinton, Feb. 23).
I guess based on how such things have appeared to work in the past that this is better than nothing. In defense of Obama, who have no use for, there really is little the US can do that really is anything.
Posted by: mac | February 25, 2011 at 06:48 PM
What nonsense. Is the general rule that a leader must give up power just because some people are getting rowdy?
You have no idea if Libya is going to be better or worse without Kadafi.
a) It is going to be much the same people because there are few educated and capable men.
b) There is no telling if the power vacuum is going to benefit the most just and nicest of the powerbrokers - is it certain that the 3 tribes are going to a friendly cup of tea and divide the oil, with an eye for each others best interest.
Any way, just like BUSH- meddle in the affairs of other countries. stupid.
Posted by: Udo Dirkenschneider | February 25, 2011 at 07:01 PM
pcow
For Libya's situation is all over the world anxious and it's going to also so down day by day. Are you agree with me? They just released a video of al-Gaddafi boarding a plane to leave the country on YouTube: http://fms.nu/hbfylB
See related videos in this link. There was also one of the protesters fire on his plane as it took off. No one is sure where he was headed.
Posted by: pcow | February 26, 2011 at 08:44 AM
"By any measure, Muammar Gaddafi's government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable," he added."
If this quote from the above article is what the US policy makers advocate against governments that are clearly guilty of deliberately shooting unarmed civilians whom are merely publically demonstrating for their freedom against oppression, then why has there not been sanctions brought against the Israeli government?.......Well, We all sorta know the answer to that one.
Posted by: Justanotheropinion | February 26, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Minding our own business is always the best policy. Imo
Posted by: Jack Russell | February 26, 2011 at 10:02 AM
If you run with the wolves prepare to be devoured or worse to become a wolf yourself.
The current revolutionaries in the Middle East and Africa must be sure to understand there is a price to be paid enabling those with military and/or political might who do not truly represent your aspirations for the future to be allowed to take the lead for the lack of an alternative – ask the Romans and the Iranians.
The twitter generation had better hold its nerve and get back on the streets to underline which version of the future they want, one founded in sixth century tribal ethics or one based on twenty first century pluralistic ethics. At stake amongst many are women’s rights and the ability to hold different view points without your head needing to be detached from your body.
We are now seeing the inevitable the Brotherhood of Islam coming out behind the covers in Egypt and demanding their version of a Democracy one where Democracy cannot exist except as a label only. The new generation’s possibilities for controlling their future, particularly women, will be lost unless the twitter generation confronts this evil. It starts off benign enough and then the pressure and terror builds to where the Brotherhood and similar organizations across the regions will own the streets and own the process of political change.
As with all revolutions the demand for Freedom inevitably gets swallowed by those with the most weaponry or capacity to make noise and fear on the streets.
Get out there twitters this is not over yet until the inks dry on the constitution and even then you will need to be vigilant.
In making sure revolution does not lead as it can to worse outcomes for citizens the next step a new constitution who better than Plato to advise?
Plato's advice still stands - change the text of the Gods
- dedicated to a generation of Twitters.
Allah does not deliver Pizza – never has never will.
Or in other words
Building a Society template which enables maximum relative independence rather than crushing it.
Precepts.
JUSTICE:
There is no Natural justice or Gods justice only Human justice. It’s the human who defines templates of justice by which societies decide between good and evil and thereby determine whether their societies approach heaven or hell on earth for resident citizens.
For in deciding what is good and evil humans determine the nature of their interaction institution, group and citizen.
Perfection is not in the nature of humans and therefore the nature of the interaction needs to be subject to continual review and renewal to make sure inequities which inevitably arise are assuaged.
FREEDOM VS INDEPENDENCE:
There is no such thing as Freedom only the relative independence Nature and fellow Humans provide.
As with infinity you can only ever approach Freedom but never achieve it. Freedom is total independence from the bounds of both Nature and Human spheres.
The notion of Freedom was invented to deceive humans into believing whatever template for society was in the offering it would indeed free them from the chains of dependence either in the physical or spiritual realm. What is in reality being offered are harder and less forgiving chains against reason and choice.
Therefore there should be no text religious or secular which is not subject to the test of enabling the relative independence of other. Text which fails this test should be rightly censured and removed as a basis for forming new citizens.
MAXIMUM RELATIVE INDEPENDENCE:
It is only in seeking to enable the maximum relative independence of others that we can achieve our own maximum relative independence.
The maximum relative independence a human being in the spiritual sphere can achieve is where a humans own perception of their worth is more than the same humans perceived sum of what other humans determine their worth to be.
The maximum relative independence a human being in the physical sphere can achieve is where a human’s leisure time is more than the time taken to obtain the necessities of life.
TWO CRITICAL ASPECTS OF CREATING A SOCIETY
As Plato pointed out some years ago there are two critical aspects of creating a society one is the Societies text excludes evil and promotes good and two the qualities of the Guardians or Teachers who guide each new generation to enable them to become reflective of good rather than evil.
The nature of the citizen indeed reflects the nature of the State. As does the State to the citizen.
TEXT:
As food is fuel for our bodies text is fuel for our thoughts, ideas, motivation and actions. It is therefore important there is a recognition text creates good and creates evil in a real sense.
Nothing is benign. It is therefore important to censure text which debases other and promote text which enables citizen’s relative independence.
No text can be excused for debasing other if a harmonious society is to be achieved. Freedom of Religion must therefore be done away with and religious texts subject to the same rules of justice applicable to secular texts for both were written by humans for humans.
The corner stone of a society’s template is a human ethical textual construct. As steel is used for building bridges text is used to build societies. As the strength of a bridge lies in the quality of its components and design so to the strength of a society resides in the quality of its foundation ethics and design of its institutions based on those ethics.
It is the above notions upon which a greater number of fellow earth citizens can achieve their potential by creating textual constructs of justice which enable access to not only the necessities of life but the opportunity to approach Freedom an not be forever chained to subservient texts.
Teachers:
Please note we are all teachers and we are all pupils from birth till death.
There are two types of teachers the enabler of independence and the creator of ineptitude.
It is important for society if it wants to achieve its full potential it identifies and rewards the former and censures the later for if society is to enable the best for its citizens it is only, as Plato has advised, by weeding out the evil and promoting the good that individual citizens and society as a whole can realise their full potential.
You simply recognise the enabler of independence because they preface their dialog with ‘Yes’ where as the creator of ineptitude can be recognised because they preface their dialog with ‘No’.
The enabler of independence will not control but encourage in complete contrast to the creator of ineptitude.
The creator of ineptitude creates ineptitude by humiliating and undermining the confidence of the pupil at every turn.
The creator of ineptitude can be recognised also in that any tool, service, or good offered is either to shoddy for use or too good for the task at hand.
The creator of ineptitude when confronted with the obviousness of their own ineptitude will class such ineptitude as normative practice. Failure is success as long as it is their own failure and not that of others.
The creator of ineptitude never apologise.
The creators of ineptitude always prematurely insist on taking over a task of another even before it is begun with a pre-emptive demand which in reality can never be met. Once it dawns on the creator of ineptitude they are in error they carry on the task as if their error did not exist and ineptly performs the very task the pupil would invariably have performed with the required aptitude and result. The creator of ineptitude will perform the task as if a great burden has fallen upon their shoulders as a result of the clear ineptitude of the pupil.
A sure sign of a creator of ineptitude is even the most menial tasks are not to be the province of the pupil nor do they believe it is worth the trouble in instructing the pupil as they view them as inept the degree to which this is the case epitomises the state of the disease.
Creators of ineptitude suffer from a fatal disease called insipid singularity. This is the most destructive aspect of the creator of ineptitude. A creator of ineptitude deems only one of the many facets of any human construct be it music, science, art, food, breakfast cereal, dogma, sauce, hobbies, religion, spanner, toothbrush, as valid all other facets or variations are not worthy of consideration and must be condemned.
Creators of ineptitude can also be identified by asking ‘Where did they go on their last holiday?’ Creators of ineptitude will reply they went to places and events they wanted to go to with little or no recognition of the desires of the rest of the family. The later fact they will underline with some satisfaction.
A creator of ineptitude has the propensity to provide minimal cursory verbal or textual examples of any action and then when by chance, only because of the absence of the creator of ineptitude, the pupil is required to perform such a task the pupil inevitably displays ineptitude for want of practice and proper instruction reinforcing the erroneous perception it is the pupil not the creator of ineptitude who is in truth inept.
Other indicators a human is a creator of ineptitude:
If you sincerely believe if you never saw the human again it was in fact too soon.
If a human convinces you without even trying there is a point to the existence of hell even if you did not believe it was possible before.
CONCLUSION:
So for the new and better society it is important for the framers of the constitution to delete any evil text and promote the good and draw up a list of all the enablers of independence ‘Yes’ and all the creators of ineptitude ‘No’ be they Fathers, Mothers, Husbands, Wives, Teachers, Barristers, mullahs, Priests, Policemen, Political Parties, Politicians, Bakers, Mechanics, Soldiers, Candlestick makers, etc and keep the ‘Yes’ and banish the ‘No’s.
Or at the very least make a community list for easy reference to be used to identify and publically censure creators of ineptitude – though not public stoning as a censure, not just because it is barbaric and promoted by troglodytes, but because creators of ineptitude would strongly object the stoning was not being done efficiently enough and proceed to stone themselves ineffectually, as is their way, making a complete farce of the judicial proceedings.
The worst manifestations of such evil character should not be banished but employed by force of association in an isolated small space, possibly a boat, for a suitable length of time to serve as a clear sign post to humanity ‘DANGER DO NOT IMMITATE FOR THE SAKE OF THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF THOSE DEAR TO YOU’.
The framers of the constitution should immediately enable the teaching of text which creates enablers of independence and publically rewards them.
In doing the above Society will prosper and the potential for citizens to achieve maximum relative independence will be substantially enhanced.
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS:
There are important points also to consider when creating a durable equitable template for a Society.
There are many safe paths at the bottom of the mountain but very few safe paths at the top. In choosing any path at the bottom of a mountain do so only in the full knowledge of which is the safest path at the top.
Fear dissipates with familiarity just so long as the experience continues to be positive otherwise contempt accompanies fear which if unchecked turns to violence.
Faith provides secular and religious certainty the greater the certainty the greater the danger to humanity. Certainty remains the prerogative of Gods (assuming they exist) not Humanity. Assume the existence of institutional hypocrisy and develop mechanisms to search them out and remove them. No institutional structure or text is to be sacrosanct and above regular review and change. At least every ten years.
The degree of violence used to create any entity invariably creates an entity of equal or increased violence to maintain it for the template of transition and nature of its beginning recognises its own vulnerability and as it succeeded in violence, violence becomes the norm. Unless this is recognised and textual blockers are specifically put in place to ameliorate this violence reoccurring little if anything has in essence been achieved.
Happy Societal Templating!
Posted by: markjuliansmith | February 26, 2011 at 12:34 PM
"I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America.." blah blah blah! AFP reports that Obama repeats his Mubarak mantra..."must leave now!" WSho voted for this dolt? Did the Motown party end early?
Posted by: WallyG | February 26, 2011 at 02:20 PM
Must you die there Muommor? The people you are ready to die for didn't want you to die for them! Must you Claim Hero? Just vacate the damn sit and give peace a chance. Sometimes this types of leaders makes me feel doing bad is good. Let's all assume the perpetrator of this anti-Gadarffi are bad "terrorist" as claimed by Mr Muommor, now shall we say they (the so called terrorist) are doing bad thing by wanting to oust a selfish, greedy and conning leader in Gadarffi? Absolutely No!
Posted by: Moruf | February 26, 2011 at 02:31 PM
Gaddafi recalls the notorious Rev. Jim Jones, but on a vastly larger scale. Remember Jim Jones? He was the psychopathic pastor who moved his Peoples Temple flock to Guyana in 1974. Jones and his hardcore followers committed mass suicide in 1978 after the cult was challenged by the world outside. Similarly, the good people of Libya are now onto Gaddafi and his lunatics. After the current murderous rampage, Gaddafi will go the way of Jim Jones.
Posted by: Fil Munas | February 26, 2011 at 06:26 PM
"Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss" In Qadhafi's mind the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. The devil is still devil. Let those who are invested in Libya fight it out, then deal with whatever and whoever is left standing.
Posted by: Barry Hussein | February 27, 2011 at 09:11 AM
Sanctions take months to have any effect.Why not park some of our best
equiped war ships in front of Tripoli with a warning that we will not sit by
to watch the wholesale massacre of civil populations.Massive killings is what
we need to prevent.The only thing Gaddafi understands and respects is the
threat of a force stronger than his own.
Posted by: Girl with the bushy armpits | February 27, 2011 at 05:14 PM