U.S. still awaiting Libya's permission to evacuate Americans

The United States has been unable to get Libya's permission to evacuate Americans from the country, State Department officials said Tuesday, prompting the administration to temper its response to the Libyan crackdown.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said that Libyan officials had promised over the weekend to support U.S. efforts to evacuate American citizens but that the necessary permits for charter flights hadn't been granted.

"What we can't figure out is whether there's just chaos at the airport, which is entirely possible, or whether the Libyans are not cooperating," Crowley said in an interview. Earlier, he told a news briefing that the U.S. government is evaluating options to help Americans leave the country by land or sea.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated her "alarm" Tuesday about the loss of protesters' lives in Libya but added that "the safety and well-being of Americans has to be our highest priority." Libya has been swept by angry demonstrations for more than a week, and leader Moammar Gaddafi vowed again Tuesday to put down the revolt.