President Barack Obama told lawmakers Friday that there are no plans from the United States to use the United States military to assassinate Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi, despite continued airstrikes on the country, according to White House sources.

The comments come on the heels of Congress members on both sides of the aisle expressing anger and dismay at the recent entry by the U.S. into conflict with Libya.

From POLITICO:

“There was a discussion of how we have other ways of regime change,” Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee told POLITICO. “It’s not our role to do anything at this point from a kinetic point of view. It is our goal for regime change, but we’re not going to do it from a kinetic point of view.”

Another source briefed on the briefing confirmed that account.

“It’s not just military efforts that can force his removal,” the source said.

The hastily arranged briefing came amid fierce criticism from Capitol Hill of the president’s decision to strike Libya’s defenses. The stakes of Obama’s communication effort with leading lawmakers on foreign policy are high because liberals, conservatives and some moderates have questioned his strategy, the costs of the engagement and the appropriateness of deploying U.S. forces without the consent of Congress.

The president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen and Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, were among the administration officials briefing lawmakers involved in the Friday meeting and conference call.