John Kerry praises U.S. role in Libyan conflict

Sen. John Kerry, who joined Sen. John McCain earlier this year in supporting the use of force to assist the Libyan rebels, praised the U.S. role in the conflict Thursday as deposed Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi was reported dead.

Kadafi’s death is a development that “marks the end of his reign of terror and the promise of a new Libya,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement.

Kerry, who was an early supporter of the NATO mission in Libya, cast Kadafi’s death as “a victory for multilateralism and successful coalition-building in defiance of those who derided NATO and predicted a very different outcome.”

PHOTOS: Moammar Kadafi | 1942 - 2011

“The United States demonstrated clear-eyed leadership, patience, and foresight by pushing the international community into action after Qaddafi promised a massacre,” he said in a statement. “Though the Administration was criticized both for moving too quickly and for not moving quickly enough, it is undeniable that the NATO campaign prevented a massacre and contributed mightily to Qaddafi’s undoing without deploying boots on the ground or suffering a single American fatality.”

Kerry warned that, “the days ahead will not be easy,” and urged the international community to, “continue to stand with the Libyan people and support the creation of viable governing institutions.”

kim.geiger@latimes.com