Clinton to Libya: 'End the Bloodshed'
CNN reports:
The United States on Monday condemned the violence in Libya and called for a halt to the "unacceptable bloodshed" in response to civil unrest, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement.
"The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly," Clinton's statement said. "Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government."
It was the highest-level statement so far by the U.S. government on the accelerating strife in Libya, where reports Monday indicated a deteriorating situation with some military forces and pro-government allies attacking anti-government demonstrators.
Two Republican senators called Monday for President Barack Obama to publicly denounce what they called "egregious violations of human rights" by Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
"We urge the president to speak out clearly in support of the Libyan people," said a statement by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, and Mark Kirk, R-Illinois.
U.S. authorities were keeping a close watch on Libya's rapidly unfolding political crisis, in part to see what possibilities might exist for meaningful reform, a senior Obama administration official said.
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