London, March 01: The US envoy to the United Nations says Libya’s embattled ruler is “delusional” and “unfit” to lead as speculations indicate Washington’s plans to invade the country.
Susan Rice made the comment at a White House press briefing on Monday after out-of-favor Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi told foreign reporters that his people loved him.
“It sounds just frankly delusional when he can talk and laugh to an American and (an) international journalist while he is slaughtering his own people,” Rice said.
“It only underscores how unfit he is to lead and how disconnected he is from reality,” she added.
Meanwhile, reports indicate a Washington plan to deploy thousands of its naval and aerial forces near Libya as it mulls over military intervention in the North African country.
A Pentagon spokesman has also said various contingency plans have been taken into consideration in order to provide options and flexibility once decisions are made.
One option on the table is using NATO air power to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. This measure, however, requires UN approval.
Also on Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said her country “will continue to explore all possible options for action.”
A brutal crackdown by the regime on opposition protests that began nearly two weeks ago has left an estimated 2,000 people dead so far, drawing widespread condemnation from across the globe.
Gaddafi has been in power since a military coup in 1969.
Gaddafi and his family members have been holding a tight grip on the country’s industries for the past four decades.
The Gaddafis have reportedly hidden away a massive amount of wealth in secret foreign bank accounts.
——–Agencies