Some early advocates of military intervention said Obama may have waited too long to help the opposition in Libya. However, a contingent of liberal Democrats, normally allied with the president, condemned the use of military force, and some congressmen criticized Obama for failing to consult Congress before launching the military action.

Meanwhile, many countries have opposed the West-led operations against Libya, and called on the countries involved to hand power back to the Libyan people.

Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, who supported the creation of a no-fly zone, said the military operation has overstepped the mandate of UN resolution 1973.

Obama's decision to transfer command to NATO is a move intended to shift domestic attention and shake off his political predicament.

But although the US is handing over command of the military intervention against Libya to NATO, analysts say that since NATO is a US-led military alliance, the US will maintain its leadership position in military operations against Libya even after it hands command over to NATO.

"That's a fraud. When the US hands the mission to NATO, it's handing the mission over to itself," said Brian Becker, national director of the anti-war umbrella group ANSWER, during a protest outside the White House on Saturday.

On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, James Stavridis, would assume overall command of the mission.

Stavridis is a US Navy four-star admiral who also serves as the current commander of US European Command.

As Gao Zugui, director of the Institute of World Politics of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations said, handing over command to NATO doesn't change the nature of the US's role in the joint military intervention against Libya.

"Because even if it does hand over command, it will still back the military operations. US cruise missiles, submarines, destroyers and aircraft carriers will continue to provide military support."

Xinhua News Agency.