US Condemns Libyan Crackdown
Reuters reports:
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday issued its strongest condemnation yet of Libya's violent crackdown on protesters, citing what it called credible reports of hundreds of deaths and injuries and threatening to take "all appropriate actions" in response.
The State Department said it had raised strong objections with Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's government about the "use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators" as the country has gotten caught up in a wave of unrest shaking the Middle East and North Africa.
With Washington stepping up pressure on Tripoli, one of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, said on state television that his father would fight against the popular uprising to "the last man standing." But he also promised a dialogue on reforms and wage increases.
"We are analyzing the speech of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to see what possibilities it contains for meaningful reform," a U.S. official said in Washington.
U.S. President Barack Obama's administration also signaledthat the Libyan government might face consequences if it did not take heed of warnings to rein in its security forces and respect its citizens' right to protest.
