Obama: Time for Gadhafi to Relinquish Power

 　　U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to "relinquish¹ power once and for all," saying the momentum² against him has reached a tipping point.

　　In a statement late Sunday after Libyan rebels pushed into the capital, Tripoli, Mr. Obama said Mr. Gadhafi needs to acknowledge that he no longer controls the country.

　　Mr. Obama also said the United States will continue to work with the international community to support a peaceful transition to democracy in Libya, and urged the opposition³ Transitional National Council to include the interests of all the Libyan people.

　　Earlier Sunday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the sooner Mr. Gadhafi realizes he "cannot win the battle ... the better."

　　The International Criminal Court at The Hague confirmed that the rebels had detained Mr. Gadhafi's son Seif al-Islam.  The world court was quick to remind the rebels that they had "an obligation to surrender Seif to the ICC."

　　The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Gadhafi, his son, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, charged with crimes against humanity.

　　Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez on Sunday was one of the rare voices to criticize the events in Libya, and he condemned⁴ NATO's airstrikes in the country.

　　Mr. Chavez has long been a staunch defender⁵ Mr. Gadhafi and has denounced the popular uprising, claiming it is an oil grab by Western powers.

1 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。