US looking to end bloodshed in Libya

The United States sought to drum up international backing for ways to stem the bloodshed in Libya as forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi waged fierce gun battles with opposition rebels holding cities near the capital.

US President Barack Obama consulted the French, British and Italian leaders on immediate steps against Gaddafi over his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising in which up to 2,000 people may have died, according to French estimates.

As oil prices leapt towards $120, stoking fears the fragile global economic recovery could be threatened, Washington, which once branded Gaddafi a "mad dog", said it was keeping all options open, including sanctions and military action.

However, coordinated international action against Gaddafi, who has ruled the oil-rich desert nation of six million for 41 years, still seemed some way off, as governments focused on evacuating thousands of their citizens trapped by the unrest.

With the Middle East still absorbing the aftershocks from the overthrow of veteran, Western-backed leaders in Tunisia and Egypt by people power, Western governments are also concerned not to be seen to be imposing neo-colonial solutions on Libya.

Disparate opposition forces were already in control of major centres in the east, including the second city Benghazi. Reports of the third city Misrata, as well as Zuara, in the west also falling brought the tide of rebellion closer to Gaddafi's power base but information from western Libya remained patchy.