WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States began moving warships and aircraft closer to Libya on Monday and froze $30 billion in Libyan assets, ramping up pressure on leader Muammar Gaddafi after calling on him to step down.

The ships could be used for humanitarian and rescue missions, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Geneva, where she told the U.N. Human Rights Council that Gaddafi was using “mercenaries and thugs” to suppress a popular uprising.

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) – The United States announced
on Friday it would soon impose sanctions on Libya and bluntly
said the legitimacy of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
had been “reduced to zero.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney did not specify what the
measures were or when they would be imposed but said the
sanctions would be coordinated with European allies.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States announced on Friday it was imposing sanctions on Libya and bluntly said the legitimacy of its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi had been “reduced to zero.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney did not specify what the restrictive measures were or when they would be imposed but said the sanctions would be coordinated with European allies.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A ferry carrying hundreds of Americans and other evacuees finally sailed from Libya on Friday, removing what U.S. officials feared could be used as a bargaining chip by an embattled Muammar Gaddafi.

President Barack Obama’s administration has been criticized for its relatively restrained response to the Libyan leader’s bloody crackdown on protesters, but U.S. officials say the main concern has been the safety of Americans in the oil-producing North African country.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A ferry carrying hundreds of Americans that has become central to Washington’s response to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s bloody crackdown on opponents remained trapped in Tripoli on Thursday.

U.S. officials say they have tempered their response to the violence in Libya for fear that tougher language could invite retaliation against U.S. citizens in the North African country. High winds and rough seas have stalled the ferry’s departure.

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama
on Wednesday condemned the “unacceptable” bloodshed in Libya
and said he would work with other countries to hold Muammar
Gaddafi’s government accountable.

In his first public comments on Gaddafi’s efforts to crush
a popular revolt that erupted alongside uprisings elsewhere in
the region, Obama said his administration was looking at “the
full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis.”

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama
on Wednesday condemned the “unacceptable” bloodshed in Libya
and said he would work with other countries to hold Muammar
Gaddafi’s government accountable.

In his first public comments on Gaddafi’s efforts to crush
a popular revolt that erupted alongside uprisings elsewhere in
the region, Obama said his administration was looking at “the
full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis.”

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pressure mounted on the White House on Tuesday to intervene to stop Muammar Gaddafi’s bloody crackdown on democracy protests as a lawmaker close to President Barack Obama urged oil firms to halt work in Libya.

The United States faced calls to impose sanctions but also to take direct action such as bombing Libyan airfields and imposing no-fly zones — military steps that most analysts consider unlikely. Some critics questioned Obama’s silence on the violence in which hundreds of Libyans have died.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government faced mounting calls for action against Libya on Tuesday as Muammar Gaddafi’s security forces used tanks, helicopters and warplanes to unleash fresh attacks on pro-democracy demonstrators.

But U.S. options to influence events in Libya appear limited, unlike in Egypt and Bahrain where Washington was able to bring pressure to bear on long-time allies to soften their response to popular uprisings.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Bahrain’s king on Friday night, urging restraint after the kingdom’s security forces ignored Washington’s earlier call for calm and opened fire on protesters demanding reforms.

Amid unrest across much of the Middle East, U.S. officials have voiced concern about violence in the island nation in talks with the government of Bahrain, which hosts a big U.S. military base and borders Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter.