"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable," Obama said in his strongest and most direct statements to date on the unrest in Libya. "So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop."

Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama said Libya's government "must be held accountable" for its failure to meet its responsibilities and he emphasized a growing international chorus of condemnation against the situation.

"The entire world is watching," Obama said.

He announced that Clinton would travel to Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday to join a Human Rights Council meeting. The group, part of the United Nations, is negotiating a resolution on Libya, according to European diplomats.

The president's public statement before television cameras was considered part of an administration effort to counter impressions of inaction and presidential silence involving Libya, with US officials saying the government is considering a range of options to pressure Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.