White House raises pressure on Gadhafi

The Obama administration raised the pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Tuesday by freezing $30 billion in government assets.

The unprecedented measure by the Treasury Department came as
U.S. officials raised their rhetoric against Gadhafi, with U.S. Ambassador to
the United Nations Susan Rice saying Gadhafi sounded “delusional” in seeking to
hold on to power.

Rice said the haul by Treasury represented an
“unprecedented” grab of assets. It is reportedly the largest amount of assets
ever frozen by the U.S.

President Obama and Rice met with U.N. Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon to discuss the crisis in Libya, where forces loyal to Gadhafi
reportedly launched air strikes against rebels now in control of much of the
country.

{mosads}Rice made clear that the U.S. and the international
community see one choice for Gadhafi and his aides: step down from power or
face significant consequences.

“There is no escaping that critical choice,” Rice said.

White House press secretary Jay Carney also sought to urge those
in the government still loyal to Gadhafi to switch sides.

“If you are in the Libyan government, you have to think
very, very hard about whose side you’re on,” he said.

The administration had come under criticism last week for
not being tough enough with Gadhafi, but Obama and his lieutenants have
toughened their rhetoric since U.S. citizens, including embassy staff, were
evacuated from Libya last week.

Rice on Monday blasted Gadhafi’s denials of atrocities
against his own citizens as, “frankly, delusional.”

“It only underscores how unfit he is to lead, and how
disconnected he is from reality,” Rice said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who likewise called on
Gadhafi to step down immediately, told the United Nations Human Rights Council
that the U.S. Agency for International Development was planning to devote about
$10 million in aid funds to Libyan refugees.

Rice praised the U.N. Security Council for the unanimous
resolution it passed over the weekend that called for the freezing of Libyan
government assets and military aid to the country. It also referred all claims
of abuse of the Libyan people directly to the U.N. International Court.

The European Union on Monday implemented an arms embargo on
the country as British lawmakers announced plans to establish a military no-fly
zone over Libya and France began sending several planes loaded with
humanitarian aid to the country.

Rice and Carney noted repeatedly that while the U.S. is
gearing up for a sizable humanitarian aid effort, all options, including
military intervention, are on the table. One U.S. warship is in the
Mediterranean, and Carney said the U.S. military has assets in the region that
could be used for all options.

Despite the pressure, Gadhafi offered no signs that he will
give up power.

“My people love me. They would die for me,” Gadhafi told ABC
News during his first interview with a U.S. media outlet.

Forces loyal to Gadhafi struck back at rebels in two Libyan
cities on Monday as the country appeared to edge closer to a civil war. Rebels
last week struck a confident note that they were on the verge of toppling
Gadhafi, but Monday’s counterattacks suggested Gadhafi still has strength in
the country.

In his interview with ABC on Monday, Gadhafi criticized the
West for turning its back on him.

“I’m surprised that we have an alliance with the West to
fight al Qaeda, and now that we are fighting terrorists they have abandoned
us,” he said. “Perhaps they want to occupy Libya.”

Carney confirmed administration chatter that the United
States is “actively reaching out” to rebel groups in the country, but
would not identify whom the U.S. had talked to. He said it would be “premature
to make any decisions about recognizing one group or another.”