Obama: Libya's Gadhafi must leave now

The UN Security Council moved yesterday to halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's deadly crackdown on protesters, slapping sanctions on him, his five children and 10 top associates.

Voting unanimously after daylong discussions, the council imposed an asset freeze on Gadhafi, his four sons and one daughter and a travel ban on the whole family along with 10 other close associates. The council also backed an arms embargo.

Council members agreed 15-0 to refer the Gadhafi regime's deadly crackdown on people protesting his rule to a permanent war crimes tribunal for an investigation of possible crimes against humanity.

The council said its actions were aimed at "deploring the gross and systematic violation of human rights, including the repression of peaceful demonstrators."

Members expressed concern about civilian deaths, "rejecting unequivocally the incitement to hostility and violence against the civilian population made from the highest level of the Libyan government."

The uprising that began Feb. 15 has swept over nearly the entire eastern half of the country, breaking cities there out of his regime's hold. Gadhafi and his backers continue to hold the capital Tripoli and have threatened to put down protests aggressively.

Council members did not consider imposing a no-fly zone over Libya and no UN-sanctioned military action was planned. NATO also has ruled out any intervention in Libya.

Earlier yesterday, President Barack Obama said Gadhafi must leave now. The comments mark the first time that Obama has called on Gadhafi to step down.

"When a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," the White House said in a statement, summarizing Obama's telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In Tripoli Saturday, the embattled Libyan regime passed out guns to civilian supporters, set up checkpoints and sent armed patrols roving the terrorized capital to try to quash dissent as rebels consolidate control elsewhere in the North African nation.

Also Saturday, the United States revoked visas for senior Libyan officials and their immediate family members as a further sanction to hold the Gadhafi regime accountable.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States won't accept any new application from top officials in Gadhafi's regime.