Obama hails Gaddafi demise, says it will be good lesson for others
US President Barack Obama says the death of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi ends a long, painful chapter for Libyans and warns 'iron fist' regimes in the rest of the Arab world they will inevitably fall.
"Just one year ago, the notion of a free Libya seemed impossible, but then the Libyan people rose up and demanded their rights. This is a momentous day in the history of Libya, the dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted," Obama said, in his first reaction to the killing of Gaddafi near his hometown of Sirte.
'With this enormous promise, the Libyan people now have a great responsibility to build an inclusive and tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Gaddafi's dictatorship," he said.
Obama said that Washington looked forward to an official announcement of Libya's liberation, which officials in Tripoli said could come as early as Friday.
The US president also said that Washington was ready to assist Libya in holding liberal elections and stabilizing the political situation.
President Obama also called on the new Libyan authorities to co-operate with the United States and its allies to track down munitions including surface-to-air missiles that went missing amid the revolutionary chaos.
In the meantime, Libyans are celebrating the death of the former dictator who was gunned down during in his hometown Sirte on Thursday.
The body of deceased Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been placed in a mosque in Misrata.
