British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. President Barack Obama said leaving Mr. Gadhafi in power would be an “unconscionable betrayal” of the Libyan people.
In a joint statement published Friday in several international newspapers, the leaders wrote it is “unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government.”
Mr. Gadhafi's daughter came to his defense Friday, rallying hundreds of supporters gathered outside a Gadhafi compound in Tripoli that was bombed by the United States in 1986.
Aisha Gadhafi told the crowd that her father's resignation would be an “insult” to all Libyans.