Chicago, April 16: President Barack Obama says a military stalemate exists on the ground in Libya, but the United States and NATO have averted a “wholesale slaughter” and Muammar Gaddafi is under increasing pressure to leave.
Obama tells The Associated Press he doesn’t see a need to resume direct US participation in enforcing the no-fly zone, saying it’s assisting with intelligence, jamming and refuelling.
He acknowledges there’s essentially a stalemate there, but adds that the NATO operation is less than a month old.
Obama says Gaddafi is “getting squeezed in all different kinds of ways,” asserting he’s running out of money and supplies.
The president also says he’s confident that Gaddafi ultimately will be forced to surrender power and that there’s no need for a change in US policy at this time.