Gaddafi’s wife and daughter flee to Tunisia; ‘Time working against him’, says Obama

President Barack Obama has said Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi will either leave power soon or be forced out.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Gaddafi's wife and daughter Aisha have fled to Tunisia.

Time is working against Gaddafi, Obama said in a speech on Thursday. He does not have control over his country. The opposition has organized a legitimate and credible interim council, the president said.

Incessant NATO attacks have weekend the military prowess of Gaddafi in recent weeks, while international support for his rule has dwindled dramatically, making it look like he's losing the plot quickly. Gaddafi had initially been able to regain control of several rebel-held cities, but his grip on power has become increasingly weak.

The pressure on the Gaddafi regime has increased to the point that Gaddafi's wife and daughter fled across the border into Tunisia in the last two days. The oil minister has defected, Clinton said.

An opinion poll conducted for The Doha Debates has found that support for him among Arabs has fallen sharply in recent weeks.

According to the latest survey, conducted between April 26 and May 2, 75 percent were in favor of forcibly removing Gaddafi from power.

Only one in 10 Arabs now believe Gaddafi’s regime is legitimate — compared to 41 per cent who have thrown their support behind the National Transitional Council, based in Benghazi, Doha-based daily The Peninsula reported.

The new poll result show Gaddafi's sympathizers are dwindling in numbers. Hillary Clinton highlighted this in an interview to CBS News. There is an enormous amount of increased messaging going to Gaddafi, not just because of the military strikes but from those who he thought were in his camp or at least wouldn't try to push him to leave, she said.