Obama condemns crackdown as US mulls sanctions on Libya

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded an immediate halt to violence against peaceful demonstrators in Libya and urged the international community to respond with one voice to the North African regime's brutal crackdown, dpa reported.

Obama said he directed his administration to "prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis." US officials said earlier Wednesday that this could include sanctions against the Libyan regime.

"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya," Obama said in his first televised statement on the unrest in Libya.

"These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop."

The United States, the UN Security Council, the Arab League and other countries have sharply condemned Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's crackdown in recent days on thousands of demonstrators, who have drawn inspiration from successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Hundreds of protesters have been reported killed. Gaddafi on Tuesday vowed to stay in power and to execute all opposition demonstrators, who have taken control of eastern parts of the country.

US Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel Monday to Geneva for a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council to coordinate an international response, Obama said. Bill Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, will also travel this week to Europe and the Middle East to discuss the crisis with US allies.

"In a volatile situation like this one, it is imperative that the nations and peoples of the world speak with one voice," Obama said.

Without specifically mentioning sanctions, Obama said the international community had to make clear that Gaddafi would face consequences for continuing to suppress the demonstrations. That could include US-led actions and through multilateral organizations.

"The Libyan government has a responsibility to refrain from violence, to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and to respect the rights of its people," Obama said.

Libya "must be held accountable for its failure to meet those responsibilities, and face the cost of continued violations of human rights," Obama said.