Silence broken, carefully

President Obama walked before the cameras and broke his silence on Libya just as I finished my last post. He delivered a muscular but very carefully-worded statement.

“First, we are doing everything we can to protect American citizens. That is my highest priority,” the president said. That’s the reason he deliberately avoided mentioning Col. Qadhafi directly in his remarks.

Key passage:

“We strongly condemn the use of violence in Libya, the American people extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all that have been killed and injured. The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protestors and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop.”

Intriguingly, Obama also said the administration is preparing a “full range of options” for dealing with the crisis, including “those actions we may take” alone. Translation: Qadhafi, the day of reckoning is coming. ABC News also reported that Hillary Clinton will lean on the UN to kick Libya off its Human Rights Council. About time. Read the full text of Obama’s remarks or watch the video here.