Washington ( CNN ) -- U.S. authorities were keeping a close watch on Libya 's rapidly unfolding political crisis Monday , in part to see what possibilities might exist for meaningful reform , a senior Obama administration official said . Among other things , Washington was taking a close look at a speech delivered Sunday by Saif al-Islam Gadhafi -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi 's son -- which included warnings of a civil war if demonstrations in the North African country do n't stop . In the same speech , Saif Gadhafi also acknowledged changing times regionally and proposed `` radical '' reforms -- like bolstering local governments , relaxing restrictive laws , raising salaries , extending loans , and drafting a constitution , which does n't now exist . Obama officials continued to discuss with their Libyan counterparts the need to avoid violence against peaceful protesters , the official added . President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation in Libya by his national security adviser , Tom Donilon , on Sunday night , the official also said . Despite the warning from Gadhafi 's son , Libya 's protesters are showing no sign of an intention to back down . After Gadhafi 's government apparently lost control of the city of Benghazi , some angry protesters in Tripoli said they hoped for a similar turn of events in the nation 's capital . Tripoli residents said state-run al-Shababiya TV was attacked Sunday evening by anti-government protesters . CNN , however , could not immediately confirm reports . The Libyan government maintains tight control on communications and has not responded to repeated requests from CNN for access to the country . CNN has interviewed numerous witnesses by phone . The current unrest , spurred largely by demands for freedom and angst over high unemployment , has left at least 233 people dead in Libya , according to Human Rights Watch , citing information from hospital sources . CNN 's Alan Silverleib and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report .
American officials are exploring possibilities for reform in Libya . The Obama administration is stressing the need to avoid violence against protesters . Gadhafi 's son has warned of a possible civil war if protesters do not back down .