Clinton: Qaddafi Still Must Go

BBC News reports:

The US has rebuffed a personal appeal from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to US President Barack Obama, repeating that he must resign and go into exile.

"Mr Gaddafi knows what he must do," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, commenting on the three-page letter received by the president.

Colonel Gaddafi urged Mr Obama in his letter to end an "unjust war".

An unconfirmed report from Libya says a coalition air strike has damaged a disputed oil pipeline.

Khaled Kaim, a deputy foreign minister in Col Gaddafi's government in Tripoli, told reporters that three guards had been killed and other staff injured during an air strike by British jets on the Sarir oilfield in the Sirte basin.

However, the oilfield has been under rebel control, and the rebels reported attacks this week by Libyan government forces in the area, which forced a halt to oil production.

There was no immediate official comment from the UK's Ministry of Defence on the Libyan government report.

But on Wednesday afternoon, it reported that British jets had hit targets around Sirte and Misrata, attacking armoured fighting vehicles and tanks.

'Our son'

A White House spokesman responded to Col Gaddafi's letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press news agency, by saying actions, not words, were needed from the Libyan leader.

American warplanes are no longer involved in the air strikes on Libya - a fact hailed by Col Gaddafi in his letter.

Referring to Barack Obama as "our son", the Libyan leader urged the US leader to end an "unjust war against a small people of a developing country", and dismissed the rebels as "al-Qaeda" militants.

His nation, he said, had been been hurt "morally" more than "physically".

Mrs Clinton said in Washington: "I don't think there is any mystery about what is expected from Mr Gaddafi at this time.

"There needs to be a cease-fire, his forces need to withdraw from the cities that they have forcibly taken at great violence and human cost...

"There needs to be a decision made about his departure from power and... his departure from Libya."

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