Jeffrey Feltman: "In all my years, I have not seen Arabs so grateful to the US..."

I have visited Libya twice in the last six months: Tripoli in December, and Benghazi last week. I might as well have visited two different planets.
My visit to Tripoli in December was full of dark threats and ominous portents. The fear was palpable.... Last week in Benghazi, though, I saw what Libya could become – and it was clear as day why it is in the U.S. interest to see the Benghazi vision for Libya succeed over Qadhafi’s...
In the many years I have worked in the Middle East, I’ve never been to an Arab city so grateful to the United States... Enthusiasm aside, the challenges facing Libya are great, and the struggle against Qadhafi is not over. The TNC seems sincere in its commitment to building an inclusive, democratic Libya that is a partner with us – but they and their supporters have a lot of work to do to turn their good words into action. And they are working to build functioning, accountable institutions from scratch, in the midst of an ongoing conflict.
What happens in Libya matters for the whole region, so it’s strongly in our interest to see the Libyans standing up to Qadhafi succeed in winning the freedom they demand. The Arab world is in upheaval. The fear threshold has been crossed and people, particularly young people, will no longer put up with the old order. Two leaders have already fallen in peaceful revolutions ... We have an enormous stake in the outcome of these changes. The countries of the region may develop more democratic, inclusive and pluralistic systems – or they could descend into civil and sectarian conflict...Leaders in Syria and Yemen are trying to hold back the wind – just like Qadhafi. Dictators across the region and globally must not be deceived that force can solve their problems. In Egypt and Tunisia, where the Arab Spring began, the fate of Libya is much closer to home: as Qadhafi clings to power through violence, refugees are streaming into these post-revolutionary states – burdening their fragile democratic transitions. Should Qadhafi survive, he’ll have every reason to try and sabotage the democratic changes underway in his neighbors..."