WASHINGTON: The United States is attempting to evacuate all American citizens currently in Libya, the State Department said on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the US will attempt to get out its citizens via ferry as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears unwilling to back down in his offensive against the civilian population. Libyan security forces, and what eye witnesses say foreign mercenaries, unleashed a bloody crackdown on protesters demanding Gadhafi's ouster, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the violence “completely unacceptable. “We believe that the government of Libya bears responsibility for what is occurring and must take actions to end the violence,” Clinton said Tuesday. As the US seeks to safely remove US diplomats and other Americans from chaos, the Obama administration refused criticize Gaddafi personally or demand that he step down. American officials who spoke to the matter publicly on Tuesday, including Clinton, have not mentioned Gaddafi by name. Unease over the safety of US citizens intensified after attempts to get some out on Monday and Tuesday were unsuccessful. Late on Tuesday, the State Department announced that American citizens would be evacuated from Libya by ferry to the Mediterranean island of Malta. In a notice sent to US citizens in Libya, the department said Americans wishing to leave the country should be at the As-Shahab port in Tripoli with their passports starting at 9 a.m. local time Wednesday for a departure no later than 3 p.m. local time. BM
