MIDDLE EAST - Chaos, Libya and Tunisia's Border

"On Tunisia's Border, Preparations Begin for Gadhafi's Fall, Chaos in Libya"
PBS Newshour 2/25/2010

Excerpts from transcript

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour): There were also new departures from Libya's diplomatic corps, as the country's U.N. delegation in Geneva defected.

ADEL SHALTUT, Libyan delegate to the United Nations (through translator): I confirm to you that we at the Libyan Mission have strongly decided to be representatives of the Libyan people and its free will. We shall not represent anyone else. We shall be the voice of this great and heroic people at this council and all international assemblies.

JIM LEHRER, Editor Newshour: Libya's delegation to the Arab League also renounced Gadhafi today.

"Shields, Brooks on Collective Bargaining's Future, Shutdown Chances, Libya" PBS Newshour Transcript 2/25/2011 (includes video)

Excerpt on Libya

JIM LEHRER, Editor Newshour: New subject: Libya. The president has caught some heat because he's been accused of reacting slowly to what's been going on in Libya and Gadhafi, et cetera.

DAVID BROOKS, New York Times columnist: Right.

JIM LEHRER: Does he deserve criticism?

DAVID BROOKS: I think they have been slow on this one, too, and especially with the atrocities. I don't think there's any profit in being nuanced about this.

And people are beginning to talk about sanctions now.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: We're embracing that, but even -- some people are also talking about no-fly zones. I don't think anybody particularly wants to send troops there, but no-fly zones, maybe recognizing the opposition, something more aggressive.

When you have got an atrocity of this nature, it's going to ratchet up demands for just a pure, simple position: We're against the tyranny.

JIM LEHRER: Do you think the president has done -- played this poorly?

MARK SHIELDS, syndicated columnist: I think the president has been hobbled, quite honestly.

And I think if history does prove and events do prove that he did act, and we did not stop atrocities we could have stooped, then I think it will be on his hands. But I think he was held hostage by the fact that the Americans couldn't get out of there and they did not get out of there until today.

JIM LEHRER: Yes. There was the American Embassy. A lot of American employees of the United States government were still there.

MARK SHIELDS: A lot of Americans, yes.

And I think that was it. There was a question whether they be would held hostage and worse things would happen to them. But that is the judgment. I mean, it's -- Rwanda is very much on people's minds.