Washington, March 08: US President Barack Obama says that military option by NATO forces is among a wide range of options under consideration for Libya.
“In the meantime, we’ve got NATO, as we speak, consulting in Brussels around a wide range of potential options, including potential military options, in response to the violence that continues to take place inside of Libya,” Obama said after meeting with visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the White House.
He said the Libyan ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his loyalists will be held accountable for continuing violence in the country.
“And I think Prime Minister Gillard and I both share a very firm conviction that the violence that’s been taking place and perpetrated by the government in Libya is unacceptable,” he said at the Oval Office.
Obama’s comments come as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow opposes any form of foreign and especially military intervention as a means to resolve the crisis in Libya.
Lavrov reiterated that Libyans must resolve their problems themselves.
Meanwhile, Obama said he has just authorized an additional $15 million to be provided to humanitarian organizations working in Libya.
——–Agencies