Clinton: Libya Faces Civil War
The BBC reports:
Libya could become a peaceful democracy or face years of civil war, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told Congressional lawmakers.
Mrs Clinton appeared on Capitol Hill to urge Congress not to cut funds needed to deal with crises abroad.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US was weighing "a lot of options and contingencies".
The comments came a day after the US began repositioning warships and military aircraft in the Libya region.
'Decision space'
In Washington on Tuesday, senior officials in President Barack Obama's administration maintained pressure on Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi to step down from power.
At the Pentagon, Mr Gates said the US military aimed to give Mr Obama "the broadest possible decision space", while emphasising that no decision on a course of action had been made.
He said 400 US Marines had been deployed to assist in humanitarian and evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, Mrs Clinton reiterated demands that Col Muammar Gaddafi "must go now, without further violence or delay".
"The entire [Middle East] region is changing, and a strong and strategic American response will be essential," Mrs Clinton said to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee in prepared testimony.
"In the years ahead, Libya could become a peaceful democracy, or it could face protracted civil war. The stakes are high.
"And this is an unfolding example of how we use the combined assets of diplomacy, development and defence to protect our interests and advance our values."
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