US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA has defended his country’s involvement in the coalition strikes on Libya as an intervention to prevent a massacre.

Addressing the American public last night, Obama paid tribute to US servicemen and -women, saying that their swift actions had helped save “countless lives”.

He described Gaddafi as a tyrant who had attacked his own people when they called for their basic human rights.

Although reluctant to use force “to solve the world’s many challenges”, he said, “when our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act”. He said the coalition’s actions had “stopped Gaddafi’s deadly advance”.

Obama didn’t directly refer to the Libyan rebels, who have gained valuable military support through the coalition’s involvement.

Rebels forces have made some major advances in the past week, taking control of some important coastal and oil areas. Anti-government forces have been advancing on the key city of Sirte, Gaddafi’s hometown, but pro-Gaddafi forces have so far held them off.

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London meeting

World leaders, including the UN’s Ban Ki-moon and NATO’s secretary general, are due to meet in London today to discuss a possible exit for Gaddafi and Libya’s post-Gaddafi future.

Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini said several countries are planning to put forward a deal proposing a ceasefire as well as negotiations among Libyan tribal leaders. Spain’s foreign minister Trinidad Jiminez said that the meeting would have to reflect the disparity of Libya’s rebels, which are not a completely homogeneous group.

African Union leaders had already offered to table negotiations to broker a peaceful end to the conflict.

Although Libyan opposition figures are not expected to attend today’s talks, some are planning to meet with British diplomats on the sidelines.

- Additional reporting by the AP