Amid Libya Mass Killings Worries, US and Others Talk Options

The United States and Turkey have discussed a range of options with regard to the situation in Lybia, the White House said Friday.

The U.S. and Turkey are considering options to ensure the security of our citizens in Libya and hold the Libyan government accountable for its actions, the White House said, relaying some themes of a talk between President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Earlier in the day Obama spoke about the issue in separate phone calls with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Italy.

The U.S. and Turkey were also discussing options on how to hold the Libyan government accountable for its actions, a reference to reports of indiscriminate killing of protesters in recent days by the members of the military and mercenaries backing Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Although reports are still patchy and hard to verify, one thing is painfully clear: in brazen and continuing breach of international law, the crackdown in Libya of peaceful demonstrations is escalating alarmingly with reported mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of protestors, said UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay on Friday in a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She said more needs to be done.

I encourage all international actors to take necessary measures to stop the bloodshed, she said.

Reports from hospitals indicate that most of the victims have been shot in the head, chest or neck, suggesting arbitrary and summary executions, she said. Doctors relate that they are struggling to cope and are running out of blood supplies and medicines to treat the wounded, she added.

Images of unverifiable origin appear to portray the digging of mass graves in Tripoli, she added.