John Kerry actually said...

It would undermine the credibility of the United Nations Security Council and its ability to uphold global peace and security.

If we try to overthrow Qadhafi by force, our coalition could splinter.

In this particular country, Libya, at this particular moment, we were faced with the prospect of violence on a horrific scale.

We would focus our unique capabilities on the front end of the operation and then transfer responsibility to our allies and partners.