Local Legislators Celebrate Gadhafi's Death, Warn of Challenges Ahead

With former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi reportedly dead and cell phone video footage of his bloody death pervading the Internet, local legislators are weighing in to celebrate Gadhafi’s demise while warning that ongoing challenges such as missing Libyan missiles continue to threaten American interests.

"Gaddafi murdered Americans and many Libyans.  Good riddance," said Congressman Ed Royce (R-Orange), who represents Rossmoor and Los Alamitos. "Eliminating Gaddafi, while necessary for Libya to move ahead, doesn't guarantee progress.  Libyans must battle through Gaddafi's legacy of repression and discord.  Radical elements are looking to take advantage here.  Big challenges are ahead."   

"It's best that he was handled by Libyans themselves.  He didn't surrender or go into exile and paid with his life," added Royce.    

But shoulder-fired missiles that can shoot down planes are unaccounted for in the Libyan arsenal, warned Royce, who has held hearings on the issue as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs' Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee.

"The US must be fully focused on securing the shoulder-fired missiles that escaped Gaddafi's arsenal,” he said. “They pose a grave threat to us."

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also issued a statement about Gadhafi’s death. 

“The Libyan people, with the support of the international community, have rid themselves of a brutal tyrant who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and thousands of his own citizens,” she said in a written statement. “We now look to the Libyan people to build a more democratic state that respects the rights of its citizens. I commend the President, the U.S. military and our allies for their efforts to help the Libyans bring an end to the oppression and horrific atrocities committed by Moammar Gaddafi’s regime.”

Editor's note: Moammar Gadhafi's name is spelled many different ways including Gaddafi, Qaddafi and Gadafi. Patch uses the Associated Press spelling: Gadhafi.