Muammar Qaddafi

Obama Calls On Qaddafi To End The Bloodshed, Give Himself Up

Susan Crabtree | August 22, 2011, 2:02PM

President Barack Obama (D)

President Obama called on Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi to end the bloodshed and give himself up amid reports that fighters for the regime are mounting a last-ditch defense of their swiftly shrinking control of Tripoli.

In an audio statement released Monday afternoon, Obama said Qaddafi has the "opportunity to reduce further bloodshed" by surrendering to NATO-backed opposition forces.

"Although it is clear that Gadhafi's rule is over, he still has the opportunity to reduce further bloodshed by explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya," Obama said.

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Bashar al-Assad

Obama Steps Up Pressure On Syrian Leader To Resign

Susan Crabtree | August 18, 2011, 10:12AM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

President Obama on Thursday issued his most explicit call to date for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from power after months of the Syrian leader's brutal assaults on peaceful pro-reform protestors.

In a written statement, Obama urged Assad to resign and announced a host of new sanctions against the Syrian government. Previously, the President and the administration had said only that Assad had lost all credibility to rule Syria.

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