SEPTEMBER 2011: RUBIO TOOK A TRIP TO LIBYA AFTER THE REVOLUTION THAT TOPPLED GADHAFI Rubio Said People In Libya Were Excited That U.S. Senators Were Visiting The Region To See The Aftermath Of The Revolution. “Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, fresh from a visit to Libya to meet with former rebels who ended the rule of Moammar Gadhafi, said he was touched by thankfulness and hope he heard from Libyans on the street. ‘These people are very, very proud of their revolution, and very excited about what it means for their future,’ he said in a conference call from Malta. Rubio and a small group of lawmakers including Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Mark Kirk visited the damaged former U.S. Embassy, met with transitional leaders and toured a prison and a medical center. ‘People were grateful, people were thankful, people were excited we were there,’ he said. He described pro-American graffiti and Libyans flashing ‘victory’ signs at the motorcade. ‘You could tell it was genuine. People wanted to talk to you,’ he said. ‘... I'm talking like, guys on the corner, young people at the cafe.’ There's still work to do, he said. Pro-Gadhafi forces still hold two major cities, and Gadhafi himself is at large. Meanwhile, Libyans face an immediate need for medical care that the United States should help to meet, he said. Rubio has strongly supported intervention in the country. ‘I shared with the rebels that their story is an inspiration to those who seek freedom all over the world,’ he said.” [Herald/Times, 9/29/11] Rubio Traveled To Meet The Libyan Rebels. “Florida Senator Marco Rubio and three Republican colleagues landed in Libya Thursday morning to meet with rebel leaders who are governing the war-torn country after forcing Moammar Gadhafi from power. Rubio, John McCain of Arizona, Mark Kirk of Illinois and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina plan to meet with members of the National Transitional Council. It’s the first high-profile congressional trip to Libya since Gadhafi’s fall. The senators arrived from Malta, where they met with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi on Wednesday to talk about the transition in Libya. They plan a press conference later Thursday. Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will return to Florida late Friday night.” [Sun-Sentinel, 9/29/11] SEPTEMBER 2011: RUBIO CRITICIZED THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON ITS RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE IN LIBYA Rubio Aggressively Questioned Undersecretary Of State William Burns On The Obama Administration’s “Troubling” Response To Rising Violence Levels In Libya. “Rubio aggressively questioned Undersecretary of State William Burns in a March hearing on what he called the Obama administration's ‘troubling’ response to the rising violence within the country. ‘Is the message that we're sending that when future conflicts arise, the United States' actions are difficult to predict? There may be none? That, basically, the way to repress and bring down resistance like this is to be brutal? What are we going to do if there's a bloodbath after this?’ Rubio asked, his voice rising.” [Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 9/10/11] OCTOBER 2011 RUBIO PRAISED U.S. EUROPEAN ALLIES MORE THAN THE U.S. AND OBAMA FOR THEIR WORK IN LIBYA Rubio Noted That U.S. Allies Conducted Much More Of The Libyan Operation Than The U.S. “Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said Col. Gadhafi masterminded numerous terrorist attacks that killed Americans, while noting that U.S. allies such as Britain and France conducted much more of the military support operation than had American forces. ‘We are impressed with the tenacity of the Libyan people in reclaiming their freedoms and honor the service of American and NATO forces that courageously assisted on this endeavor,’ Mr. Rubio said. ‘Gadhafi has now joined the list of failed and disgraced tyrants that have faced justice from their own people. We still have a long and arduous road ahead as we partner with the free Libyan people to build a more prosperous and democratic future.’” [Washington Times, 10/21/11] Rubio Refused To Give The President More Credit On Libya – Insisting It Was To The Credit Of Europe. Asked if the President should get more credit for bring down Gadaffi, Rubio said: No, let's give credit where it's due. Number one, the French and the British carry the load on this and let's not forget that. Number two, the Libyan people. Actually, I should say it in the reverse. The Libyan people, OK? (Inaudible) -- those Libyans laying in those beds who fought for their freedom and were able to accomplish it. The British, the French and our NATO allies who were involved. I think the president did the right thing. He just took too long to do it and he didn't do enough of it and the proof is in -- is in -- is in -- you see it now before us. What has happened as a result of this being an extended conflict? A number of things. The country is now more beat up. It's going to cost more money to rebuild Libya. You have more people dead. You have more people maimed. And so people that instead of being able to go work have to go to rehab to be able to gain their functionality. You have thousands of rocket -- shoulder fired rockets that are missing all of that because of how long this took in the chaos.” [Rubio Media Availability on Jobs, 10/20/11] OCTOBER 2011: RUBIO WOULDN’T HAVE PUT AMERICAN TROOPS INTO LIBYA DURING THE REVOLUTION Rubio Said He Wouldn’t Have Put American Troops Into Libya After The Benghazi Attacks. O'REILLY: “Would you if you were in-charge have put American troops in that place?” RUBIO: “No and the Libyans didn't want that.” O'REILLY: “So you -- you would have bombed harder.” RUBIO: “We would have done a no-fly zone earlier in the process. If the rebels have had a no-fly zone when they asked for it, this thing would have been over in a week.” O'REILLY: “All right, so