WASHINGTON — The Obama administration threw its weight Thursday behind a European effort to expel Libya from the U.N.’s top human-rights body and said it was readying a larger sanctions package against Moammar Kha dafy’s regime.
President Barack Obama consulted with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy, while officials said Secretary of State Hillary Rod ham Clinton would help coordinate the larger international strategy to stop the violence in Libya at a meeting of foreign-policy chiefs next week in Switzerland.
The U.N. Human Rights Council is meeting in emergency session today.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said 167 Americans are waiting to be evacuated by ferry from Libya. He sidestepped a question as to whether the U.S. was fearful of a hostage situation arising and praised Libya for cooperating with the U.S. on the planned ferry voyage to Malta. The Associated Press
