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 a besieged 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 their chief concern has been the safety of Americans in the North African country.
After talking by phone with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy on Thursday on immediate steps to end the crisis, Obama spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, the White House said.
But as Libyan government forces shot dead protesters in clashes in the capital Tripoli on Friday, there was little sign of concerted action from Washington or other foreign capitals.
There may be more clarity on Washington’s position when the U.N. Security Council meets in New York later on Friday to discuss a French-British draft proposal for an arms embargo, financial sanctions and a request to the International Criminal Court to indict Libyan leaders for crimes against humanity.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to fly to Geneva for a meeting on Monday of the U.N. Human
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