Obama thanks Harper over Libya

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama Monday thanked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for clamping sanctions on Libya’s Moamer Kadhafi, and both leaders vowed to support sweeping change in the Middle East.

Obama and Harper spoke a day after Harper said Canada was freezing assets of Kadhafi and his family, and called on him to resign, joining an international clamor against the long-time ruler now teetering under a widespread revolt.

The US and Canadian leaders, who met in Washington earlier this month, agreed on the need to “deter additional acts of violence by the Kadhafi regime,” the White House said in a statement.

“The president expressed appreciation for Canada’s joining the United States in imposing tough unilateral sanctions against the Libyan government,” the statement said.

Obama and Harper pledged to hold those responsible for violence in Libya accountable, to boost United Nations efforts on the crisis and to provide humanitarian help to the needy.

“The leaders also expressed a commitment to work together to help Egypt and Tunisia achieve successful, peaceful democratic transitions, and to work with other countries in the region to achieve meaningful reform.”

The United States, which imposed sanctions on Kadhafi which hooked $30 billion dollars in assets, on Monday branded the Libyan leader as “delusional” after he said in a television interview his people loved him.