The United States brought 24 wounded Libyan rebel fighters to a medical treatment center in Boston for advanced critical care that they could not receive in Libya.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the humanitarian assistance October 27, a week after Libyans ended the 42-year regime of dictator Moammar Qadhafi.

The U.S. action is in response to a request from the rebels' Transitional National Council, the acting interim government of Libya, according to U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz in a news report from Tripoli October 29. "When Secretary of State Clinton visited Tripoli last week, she met with some of Libya's war wounded and saw their dire need firsthand," Cretz said.

The wounded fighters were brought to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. An additional six critical cases will be transferred to a hospital in Germany for immediate care. All are flying aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 medical evacuation aircraft, with doctors, nurses and lifesaving medical equipment onboard.

"After months of struggle and sacrifice, the Libyan people have liberated their country with the support of the United States and the international community," Clinton and Panetta said in a joint statement. "The violent dictator and his regime have collapsed. But Libya's new freedom has come at a price in human life and suffering. Just as the United States and the international community stood with the Libyan people during the revolution, we continue to work with Libya to address urgent humanitarian needs."

"Saturday, in response to a request by the Transitional National Council, the United States is transporting 24 seriously wounded fighters to Spaulding Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts," the joint statement said. "An additional six critical cases will be transferred to Germany for immediate care. All of these patients were injured as a result of recent fighting and suffer from conditions that cannot currently be treated in Libya."

"The United States offers this humanitarian gesture of emergency medical evacuation assistance as a small token of our support, because we are committed to Libya's future. We will continue to stand by the people of Libya and support them as a partner and friend as they build a new, democratic future," the two secretaries said.