Pelosi visits Italy amid crisis in Libya

Accompanied by a small bipartisan band of House lawmakers, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived in Italy Friday to visit with U.S. troops amid the ongoing political uprising in nearby Libya.

The excursion — Pelosi's first official trip abroad this year — comes a day after the United Nations passed a resolution allowing a no-fly zone over Libya and authorizing the international community to take "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.

Italy has lobbied other countries for help to deal with the refugee crisis as Libyans flee their homeland amid the violence. The Libyan government called for an "immediate ceasefire" after the passage of the U.N. resolution

Pelosi on Friday hailed the U.N. resolution as "a clear signal" to Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi that "the violence against your own citizens must end and the Libyan people must be free to choose their own destiny, free from intimidation."

Also on the trip are Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), John Mica (R-Fla.), Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.).

At the invitation of Italian officials, the lawmakers will also commemorate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. Pelosi, an Italian-American, said the tribute is fitting considering America's long ties with the Mediterranean nation.

"America is a land discovered by an Italian, named for an Italian, and built by millions of Italian Americans," she said in a statement. "Our shared history and culture only serve to strengthen the U.S.-Italy alliance in this new century, and through the Italian-American community, there are literally millions of bridges between our two nations."

---