EU Chiefs: Gadhafi Must Go

It’s time for Moammar Gadhafi to go, the leaders of the EU have declared following an emergency meeting in Brussels. The leaders will “examine all necessary options” to protect civilians in Libya, they say. But amid reluctance from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the officials haven’t come to a decision regarding a possible no-fly zone, reports the BBC.

“The problem has a name: Gadhafi. He must go,” said the president of the European Commission. “We have to intensify our international pressure on the current regime to step down.” Europe hopes to avoid military intervention, but doesn’t “want to exclude” the option, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy; such a move, however, would occur only with backing from the UN, the Arab League, and rebel leaders. (More European Union stories.)