Obama warns Libyan leaders, greenlights $15M more in humanitarian aid

President Obama on Monday warned Libyan political leaders to pick a side as violence in the country worsened.

Obama, in remarks with visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, said he wanted “to send a very clear message” to those around Moammar Gadhafi.

“It is their choice to make how they operate moving forward, and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there,” Obama said.

The president’s tough words come as Obama and his administration cautiously weigh further steps, including military action, in the country.

Obama on Monday greenlighted an additional $15 million in emergency funds for humanitarian assistance, and the North Atlantic Council of NATO — meeting daily this week — is still considering other military options. Obama has made it clear he will not pursue military intervention unilaterally.

The council did agree Monday to increase surveillance flights in Libya from 10 to 24 hours a day, according to an Associated Press story circulated by the White House.

White House press secretary Jay Carney continued to insist Monday that “all options are on the table,” but he acknowledged that “ground troops is not at the top of the list at this point.”

Still, Carney hinted that other military options, including a no-fly zone, increased humanitarian assistance or providing arms to Libyan opposition leaders, are still being considered.

“We could speculate endlessly about the options,” Carney said. “I would simply say that those are principal options that are being discussed, at least the three that I discussed: humanitarian assistance, enforcing the U.N. arms embargo and contingency planning for a potential no-fly zone.”

Lawmaker calls for a no-fly zone have increased, but White House Chief of Staff William Daley warned over the weekend that such a measure is complex and not like playing a “video game.”

“Lots of people throw around phrases of ‘no-fly zone’ and they talk about it as though it's just a game, a video game or something,” Daley said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." “Some people who throw that line out have no idea what they're talking about.”

The possibility of a stalemate in Libya, which could turn into a protracted civil war, seemed to increase over the weekend as Gadhafi loyalists defeated rebels in key battles even as rebels maintained control over some parts of the country.

But the weekend’s growing body count in Libya did not increase the likelihood of military intervention, Carney said.

“I wouldn't characterize the likelihood of further options being pursued as greater now, but we have said from the beginning that those options were on the table, and none of them have been removed from the table,” Carney said.

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