US warship headed to Libya: officials

Washington: U.S. warship with hundreds of Marines on board headed for Libya on Tuesday, defense officials said, as U.S. and European allies have tried to pile pressure on the embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi.
USS Kearsarge, landing craft, accompanied by two other naval vessels are expected to pass through the Suez Canal in the near future from the Red Sea, the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
"We are definitely moving assets to be closer (in Libya)," one of the defense ministry said.
Kearsarge amphibious ready group, with about 800 Marines fleet of helicopters and medical facilities, could support humanitarian efforts and military operations.
"The ship, as Kearsage capable of many types of missions," the same official said.
U.S. military leaders are preparing a number of options for Barack Obama and discussions with their European counterparts, but the likelihood of military intervention remains unclear, the official said.
"I think it (council) goes from everything from the show of force to something more involved," the official said, adding: ". The President has made no decision about using the military"
Analysts say that a symbolic show of force off the coast of Libya itself can increase the pressure on Gaddafi, but the official deployment of naval and air forces near Libya was not an empty gesture.
"There are sailors on ships, the title, incidentally, it's real."
The American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise - which is a fighter who could possibly respect a no-fly zone - may also be called a crisis of Libya. Carriers currently in the north of the Red Sea, according to the U.S. Navy site. (AFP)