Obama called French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron after the UN resolution was approved that will not only impose a no-fly zone, but also protect civilians and bring to a halt Gaddafi's military from any further hostilities.
The UN resolution was initiated by Lebanon, Great Britain, France and the United States and was deliberated for three days. Ten of the fifteen members of the UN Security Council voted in favor of the resolution and the remaining five members abstained (Russia, China, Germany, India, and Brazil).
France, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the U.A.E. may carry out airstrikes on forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi early on Friday, just hours after the Security Council vote. A British government source earlier said that British forces could be in action over Libya as early as Friday.
Libya warned on Thursday that any foreign military intervention would put air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean area under threat, as it would hit both civilian and military targets.