US repositioning military forces around Libya for ‘any eventuality’

WASHINGTON - The US defence department has said that it is repositioning forces around Libya, putting further pressure on the autocratic ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after asking him to resign from his post immediately.

“We have planners working various contingency plans, and I think it’s safe to say as part of that we’re repositioning forces to provide for that flexibility once decisions are made,” Pentagon spokesman Col Dave Lapan said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that US forces could be used for delivering humanitarian assistance after cautioning that Washington was leaving all its options open in dealing with the unrest in Libya, the BBC reports.

Although she did not discuss military options, Clinton said that as long as Gaddafi remained in power, the US would consider a range of options against Libya’s rulers.

“Through their actions, they have lost the legitimacy to govern. And the people of Libya have made themselves clear: it is time for Gaddafi to go - now, without further violence or delay,” Clinton told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, has also said that Washington was “actively and seriously” considering establishing a no-fly zone and was in talks with NATO and other potential military partners.

Earlier, US President Barack Obama had said that Gaddafi ‘had lost the legitimacy to rule’ Libya because he was only using ‘mass violence’ to cling on to power, and asked him step down immediately. (ANI)