AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: US secretary of state says Gaddafi's government must be held to account as EU approves new sanctions against Libya.Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has said the government of Muammar Gaddafi must be held to account over atrocities committed in Libya as she reiterated calls for the leader to step down.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, Clinton said Gaddafi must leave power "now, without further violence or delay". "Gaddafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts, which violate international legal obligations and common decency," she said.
"We have seen Colonel Gaddafi's security forces open fire on peaceful protesters. They have used heavy weapons on unarmed civilians. Mercenaries and thugs have been turned loose to attack demonstrators." Clinton said Washington was keeping "all options on the table" in terms of action against the government, and that a no-fly zone was "an option we are actively considering".
She also said two US humanitarian teams are being sent to Libya's borders with Egypt and Tunisia to provide aid to refugees fleeing the country.
Meanwhile, a Pentagon official said the US military was repositioning naval and air forces around Libya. >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Monday, February 28, 2011
