The United Nations General Assembly has suspended Libya's membership of the UN Human Rights Council.
Earlier, a senior United States military officer told a Senate hearing that establishing a no-fly zone in Libya would be a challenging military operation and would require removing the country's air defence capability.
France has said that there would be no international military action against Libya, including the imposition of a no-fly zone, without a ‘clear mandate’ from the United Nations.
The US and Britain are considering the imposition of a no-fly zone to prevent the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from using aircraft against rebels fighting to end his 41-year rule.
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have gathered near the Tunisian border as the US said it was moving warships and air forces closer to Libya.
Residents fear pro-Gaddafi forces are preparing an attack to regain control of Nalut, about 60km from the Tunisian border in western Libya, from protestors seeking an end to Gaddafi's rule.
The US and other foreign governments discussed military options yesterday for dealing with Libya as Gaddafi dismissed the threat to his government.
US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said Gaddafi is 'disconnected from reality,' is 'slaughtering his own people' and is unfit to lead.
Ms Rice said Washington is in talks with its NATO partners and other allies about military options.
The US also said about $30bn in assets in the US has been blocked from access by Gaddafi and his family.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government would work to prepare for a 'no-fly' zone in Libya to protect the people from attacks by Gaddafi's forces.
Gaddafi rejected calls for him to step down and dismissed the strength of the uprising against his 41-year rule that has ended his control over eastern Libya and is closing in on the capital Tripoli.
'All my people love me. They would die to protect me,' he told the US ABC network and the BBC yesterday.
Gaddafi denied using his air force to attack protestors but said planes had bombed military sites and ammunition depots.
He also denied there had been demonstrations and said young people were given drugs by al Qaeda and therefore took to the streets. Libyan forces had orders not to fire back at them, he said.
Gaddafi, 68, looked relaxed and laughed at times during the interview at a restaurant on Tripoli's Mediterranean coast.
Ambassador Rice called him 'delusional'.
As the uprising enters its third week, the situation on the ground is often hard for reporters to assess due to the difficulties of moving around some parts of the country and the patchy communications.
Meanwhile, all Irish citizens who expressed an interest in leaving Libya have left the country.
Those still there are people with dual citizenship, who have chosen to stay there.
Brendan Ward, from the evacuation team, says anyone who wants to leave should do so at the earliest opportunity.
