International condemnation of Libya's crackdown on protesters, once weak and tepid, has become a firestorm. The question now is not if Col Muammar Qaddafi succumbs, but how much damage he will wreak on the way out.
On Saturday, the regime learnt how isolated it had become. The UN Security Council voted unanimously to impose an arms embargo, freeze his family's assets and refer the Libyan leader to the International Criminal Court. It was only the second time the Security Council did so, and the first time with a unanimous vote.
That alone should have sent the message that the Libyan leader's time had come. Instead, it seems to have emboldened the regime's delusions. As one of Col Qaddafi's sons, the western-educated Saif al Islam, put it at the weekend: "Incitement against Libya came from abroad, since the start of the Facebook campaign."
It's not surprising those closest to Col Qaddafi would blame others for the chaos. It is unlikely that anyone will be fooled. Stories of bloody crackdowns have shown the world the true face of the Qaddafi machine. An estimated 1,000 people have died in the violence so far.
More than the international condemnation, Col Qaddafi's government is fracturing from the inside. Libya's ambassadors overseas are denouncing the regime in droves, members of his cabinet are defecting and tribal allegiances even of longtime allies are under strain.
The sanctions approved on Saturday will have a mixed result. Led by the United States, the international community can say they have backed their strong words with actions, but broad sanctions such as an arms embargo will have a questionable effect in the near future.
Perhaps more influential is the ICC referral and the specific targeting of individuals within the regime. Chipping away at support from within Col Qaddafi's inner circle could have far more effect. The British foreign secretary William Hague has issued a stark warning: "The message is clear: that there will be a day of reckoning for those guilty of the appalling atrocities."
Libya's future, not Col Qaddafi's, is in the balance. It seems futile at this point to call on Col Qaddafi to act in Libya's interests. But perhaps those around him can help to remove him from office before he does further harm.
Col Qaddafi's son Saif may say "these movement are without future". In reality, it's the current leadership, penned in by increasing isolation, whose time is running out.