THE WASHINGTON POST: The United States is “gravely concerned” about the widespread violence in Libya, as reports Sunday said the country’s second-largest city, Benghazi, was in the hands of rebel soldiers and anti-government protesters who had occupied the official residence of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
“In Benghazi and in the coastal areas, we are very concerned about reports of security forces firing on peaceful protesters,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice.
“We’ve condemned that violence,” she told NBC‘s “Meet the Press.” “Our view is that in Libya, as throughout the region, the peaceful protests need to be respected.”
A statement from the U.S. State Department later Sunday added that officials are “gravely concerned with disturbing reports and images coming out of Libya,” where human-rights groups say as many as 200 protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces in recent days. >>> Shaun Waterman, The Washington Times, Sunday, February 20, 2011
