EXIT PLAN

White House Seeks Gaddafi Refuge

U.S. envoy working with rebels on forming new gov’t.

The Obama administration and its allies have been seeking a country, most likely in Africa, where Col. Muammar Gaddafi could legally stay if he’s forced out of Libya, even though the leader has marched through Tripoli's streets in recent days and declared he has no intentions of stepping down. New intelligence reports suggest that there are no rebels who could emerge as a sufficient successor for Gaddafi, but if the U.S. could find a haven for Gaddafi, that would allow Obama to uphold his declaration that the Libyan leader must leave the country without sending U.S. troops in to interfere. The effort could be hampered by the fact that Gaddafi could be called to an international court for his role in 1988's Lockerbie bombings, but Obama administration officials say that could be circumvented by finding a refuge country that doesn't participate in the treaty that would require Gaddafi to be handed over. Meanwhile, American envoy Chris Stevens is in Benghazi working with the Transitional National Council, which has pledged to work toward drafting new parliamentary and presidential elections and a new constitution that will encourage formation of political parties.