Transcript: Sec. of State Hillary Clinton Talks With Diane Sawyer About the Situation in Libya

March 22, 2011— -- (OFF-MIC CONVERSATION)

DIANE SAWYER: Thank you again, Madame Secretary. And we hear repeatedly it will be days not weeks before the U.S. turns over the lead. It will be one week on Saturday. Will it happen by Saturday?

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well it will be days. Whether it's by Saturday or not depends on the evaluation made by our military commanders along with our allies and partners. But the President was very clear that the United States had unique capabilities that we would bring to bear in the enforcement of the U.N. Security Council resolution and that is exactly what we're doing.

DIANE SAWYER: So it might go into next week?

HILLARY CLINTON:I think we're making real progress. So I think that it will be days. And the days-- I hope will be sooner instead of later.

DIANE SAWYER: Sounds as if you don't think it will be next week. You--

HILLARY CLINTON: I--

DIANE SAWYER:--you might even think this weekend?

HILLARY CLINTON: I think it's-- I think it's moving well. From our-- from our assessment, and, you know, we do a call-- every day-- to check in, plus during the day getting updates. The work that the United States and our allies have been doing to take out-- the air defense systems. To clear the field to enable a no-fly zone to be-- effectively-- implemented. To help level the playing field-- because there have also been-- strikes on some of the-- other assets that the-- Gadhafi-- forces have. Will enable the United States to do what we said we would do, which is to fulfill this initial phase, and then to transition to the no-fly zone and the work that will be led by-- our partners.

DIANE SAWYER: Will it be NATO?

HILLARY CLINTON: That is still being worked out. I mean, because we do have a broad-- international participation. And as we speak in-- NATO headquarters in Brussels, they're working on the planning for-- the no-fly zone, for the arms embargo. Because everyone believes that having NATO assets and coordinating-- mechanisms behind what we're doing makes a lot of sense.

DIANE SAWYER: But it might be something outside NATO but with NATO assets and coordination?

HILLARY CLINTON: That-- that is also being looked at. But NATO will be definitely involved because we do have-- a lot of NATO members-- who are-- committed to this process. And, you know, they want to see command and control that is organized. But we also are integrated others from outside of NATO. But I'm very relaxed about it, Diane. I-- I think it is-- proceeding. It's-- moving forward in the right-- direction. And we will have what we need-- in the next few days.

DIANE SAWYER: Moammar Gadhafi, will this intervention be a success if he's still in power?

HILLARY CLINTON: Well I think we have to separate the-- the two-- sides of the equation if you will. The United Nations Security Council resolution was very broad but explicit about what was legally authorized by the international-- community. And we are 100 percent committed to enforcing it and helping others enforce it. There's nothing in there about getting rid of anybody. It is about protecting civilians, providing humanitarian assistance, but also enabling nations-- to use whatever means-- necessary in order to bring that about. There are many aspects to what the international community is doing to put a lot of pressure on-- Gadhafi and those around him. So it-- it-- it--

DIANE SAWYER: Are you saying you're confident the end result will be that he's out? That--

HILLARY CLINTON: No-- it's-- I--

DIANE SAWYER:--under the--

HILLARY CLINTON:--I don't want to make any predictions because-- we-- we're taking this one step at a time. I mean, I-- I don't want to jump beyond where we are right now. We are implementing the-- U.N. Security Council resolution, we are establishing the no-fly zone, which everybody was calling for, from the United States Senate to the Arab League. Please do a no-fly zone, get U.N. Security Council-- support to do it. And that is what we are doing. Now obviously, if-- we want to see a stable, peaceful, hopefully someday democratic Libya, it is highly unlikely that can be accomplished if he stays-- in power as he is.