President Obama: Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi's regime 'coming to an end'

Obama’s statement was initially released as an audio recording, but nearly an hour after that came out, the video of Obama’s statement was made public, showing him speaking in a jacket and dress shirt - no tie - in front of a lush backdrop of green trees.Cautioning that the fighting in Libya is "not yet over" and "there remains a degree of uncertainty and there are still regime elements that pose a threat," Obama called on Qadhafi to "explicitly" relinquish power. The Libyan leader, the president said, should tell his forces to lay down their arms.With Qadhafi on his way out, Obama said, what’s important is what comes next."As we move forward from this pivotal phase, the opposition should continue to take important steps to take on a transition that’s peaceful, inclusive and just," the president said, referring to Libya’s Transitional National Council. "As the leadership of the TNC has made clear, the rights of all Libyans must be respected. True justice will not come from reprisals and violence."Rather, Obama said, justice "will come from reconciliation and a Libya that allows its citizens to determine their own destiny.""In that effort, the United States will be a friend and a partner," Obama continued. "We will join with allies and partners to continue the work of safeguarding the people of Libya as remaining regime elements menace part of the country, I have directed my team to be in close contact with NATO as well as the United Nations to determine other steps that we can take to deal with the humanitarian impact, we’re working to ensure that critical supplies reach those in need, particularly those who are wounded."