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Obama offers support to new Libyan government

U. S. President Barack Obama meets with Libyan Interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil at the United Nations in New York on September 20, 2011. The interim government takes a seat at the UN General Assembly this week. UPI/Allan Tannenbaum/Pool
1 of 6 | U. S. President Barack Obama meets with Libyan Interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil at the United Nations in New York on September 20, 2011. The interim government takes a seat at the UN General Assembly this week. UPI/Allan Tannenbaum/Pool | License Photo

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama told a U.N. meeting Tuesday the United States will support the people of Libya in building a new government.

Obama also met in New York with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to express condolences for the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

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Rabbani was in charge of peace talks with the Taliban. He was killed in his home Tuesday in an apparent suicide bombing.

Obama said Rabbani was a man "who cared very deeply about Afghanistan." But Obama said he and Karzai "both believe that despite this incident that we will not be deterred from creating a path whereby Afghans can live in freedom, safety, security and prosperity."

Karzai thanked Obama and said, "This will not deter us from continuing down the path we have started."

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In remarks earlier Tuesday before a high-level U.N. meeting, Obama said as Libya rebuilds, "you will have a friend and partner in the United States of America. Today, I can announce that our ambassador is on his way back to Tripoli. And this week, the American flag that was lowered before our embassy was attacked will be raised again, over a re-opened American embassy. We will work closely with the new U.N. Support Mission in Libya and with the nations here today to assist the Libyan people in the hard work ahead."

He praised rebel fighters for overthrowing Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

"Make no mistake -- credit for the liberation of Libya belongs to the people of Libya. It was Libyan men and women -- and children -- who took to the streets in peaceful protest, who faced down the tanks and endured the snipers' bullets. It was Libyan fighters, often outgunned and outnumbered, who fought pitched battles, town-by-town, block-by-block. It was Libyan activists -- in the underground, in chat rooms, in mosques -- who kept a revolution alive, even after some of the world had given up hope."

He added: "Libya is a lesson in what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one. I said at the beginning of this process, we cannot and should not intervene every time there is an injustice in the world. Yet it's also true that there are times where the world could have and should have summoned the will to prevent the killing of innocents on a horrific scale. And we are forever haunted by the atrocities that we did not prevent, and the lives that we did not save. But this time was different. This time, we, through the United Nations, found the courage and the collective will to act."

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Obama attended a Libyan Contact Group meeting with Libyan Transitional National Council Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Entering the meeting room, Obama was flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, national security adviser Tom Donilon and White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley.

Those in the room gave a standing ovation when the new Libyan flag was brought into the room.

"Thank you for your participating in this important meeting," Ban said.

"For Libya this is a historic day. ... Last Friday the [U.N.] General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to accept the credentials" of the Libyan TNC. "Today we are honored to formally welcome them to the international community. ... I'm sure you noticed your new flag this morning, flying so proudly outside this building," Ban said.

Jalil thanked the United Nations, the international community, the Arab League, the United States, France and Britain for their help in overthrowing Gadhafi.

He said Libyan rebels would not have been able to face "the huge amount of weaponry" Gadhafi's forces unleashed without international help, but added: "The road before us is still long. Many challenges ahead. ... Our needs are many. .... We've lost 25,000 martyrs. ... There are double [that] number of wounded."

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Jalil promised Libya "will be a vibrant state that upholds human rights."

"Libya also reassures everyone that we will protect civilians always," he said. "We thank you for all your support ... a support that the Libyan people will always remember."

Obama told the gathering, "To the people of Libya -- this is your chance. And today the world is saying, in one unmistakable voice -- we will stand with you as you seize this moment of promise, as you reach for the freedom, the dignity and the opportunity you deserve."

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