Obama Monitoring Libya Situation

February 22, 2011

President Barack Obama speaks at the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Feb. 22, 2011.

As with political upheaval in Egypt and Tunisia, and demonstrations in other countries in the region, administration statements continue to call for an end to violence against peaceful protesters, and stress the importance of respecting universal rights and freedoms.

President Obama has received regular updates on Libya, and the situation in other countries, from his National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.

However, since a written statement last week about Libya, the president has left it to Secretary of State Clinton to be the primary public face and voice of the U.S. response.

At the State Department on Tuesday, Clinton said the U.S. and the international community strongly condemn violence in Libya, and mentioned what she called reports of hundreds of people killed and many more injured.

As President Obama flew to Ohio for an event highlighting his economic policies, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Mr. Obama was not expected to make any additional statement for now.

Carney said the United States is working with other countries and participating in meetings at the United Nations, saying the international community can be most effective "when it speaks with one voice."