Washington DC, Mar 7: US President Barack Obama warned that the US and its NATO allies are still considering military options to stop what he called "unacceptable" violence perpetrated by supporters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
"I want to send a very clear message to those who are around Colonel Gaddafi: It is their choice to make how they operate moving forward. And they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place," Obama said.
Speaking in the Oval Office, alongside Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Obama also confirmed he had authorised an additional 15 million (m) US dollars in humanitarian aid to Libya on Monday as government forces there stepped up their crackdown on opposition forces.
Libyan warplanes launched multiple airstrikes on Monday on opposition fighters in the second day of a harsh government crackdown to thwart rebels advancing on Gaddafi's stronghold in Tripoli.
US sent an initial 10 million (m) US dollars in humanitarian aid to Libya last month (February).
The US and United Nations have imposed sanctions on Gaddafi's regime, and US military forces have also moved closer to Libya's shores to back up demands that Gaddafi step down.
Hundreds if not thousands of people have died since Libya's uprising began, although tight restrictions on media make it nearly impossible to get an accurate tally.
More than 200-thousand people have fled the country, most of them foreign workers, creating a humanitarian crisis across the border with Tunisia - another North African country in turmoil after an uprising in January that ousted its long-time leader. AP
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