Libyan leader will be held accountable – Obama vows

In his statement on Wednesday, the US president however maintained balance in his pronouncements over the uprisings in Egypt, while at the same criticising Gaddafi's actions unequivocally. He vowed that the Libyan leader would be held accountable.

"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop," Obama said.

Obama is also sending secretary of state Hillary Clinton to Europe to discuss what actions can be taken to stop the violence, and to take part in a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Signalling he is considering sanctions, Obama said he has asked his administration for a list of options on how to respond to the crisis. "This includes those actions we may take and those we will coordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we will carry out through multilateral institutions.”

Obama, at the start of his statement, stressed his priority was to protect US citizens in Libya. But turning to the Libyans, he extended condolences to the families who have seen members injured or killed.

Aligning the US with the protesters, Obama said: "The United States also strongly supports the universal rights of the Libyan people. That includes the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and the ability of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. They are not negotiable. They must be respected in every country. And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression."

He added: "Like all governments, the Libyan government has a responsibility to refrain from violence, to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and to respect the rights of its people. It must be held accountable for its failure to meet those responsibilities, and face the cost of continued violations of human rights."