International community urges Gaddafi to step down

PanARMENIAN.Net - French Defense Minister Alain Juppé expressed hope that Muammar Gaddafi's rule was approaching its end.

"I wholeheartedly hope that Gaddafi is living his last moments as leader," Reuters quoted Juppé as saying in an interview with France Inter radio. Juppé also reiterated calls for sanctions on Gaddafi after his bloody crackdown on protesters, saying that if the option was raised for ceasing oil purchases from Libya, he would "go for it."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that he urged the international community to exert pressure on Gaddafi as the Libyan leader's hold on power within his country appeared to be slipping.

Hague stated that the "odds are stacking heavily against him," and that it is on the international community to put heavy pressure on the regime who is "by all accounts now committing serious offenses." He added that "we will be looking for wars to hold to account people who are responsible for these things."

The U.S. has threatened to send NATO warplanes to Libya in response to allegations that the Libyan government has been using aircraft to bomb civilians.

The source also said that NATO warships could jam Libyan electronic communication in order to prevent further attacks from the Libyan air force.

Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also expressed solidarity with the protesters, and condemned Gaddafi, Reuters reported on Thursday citing the SITE Intelligence Group, The Jerusalem Post reported.