Washington, Jumada I 23, 1432, Apr. 27, 2011, SPA -- The United States said Tuesday that its military mission that participate in the NATO forces in Libya is not to assassinate Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. Speaking to reporters at the U.S. State Department, Director of Policy Planning, Jake Sullivan said that “the military mission in Libya is not regime change.” But, he added, “it is critical for the future of Libya” for Qaddafi to leave power. Urging patience, Sullivan said that he believes “that the current posture… is consistent” with what the United States and NATO wanted to accomplish in Libya so far. He also echoed comments made by U.S. President Barack Obama, where he said that the United States is ready to play “the central” role in the civilian protection mission in Libya. --SPA 11:18 LOCAL TIME 08:18 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/887442