Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the 100 Women Initiative at the State Department in Washington, Monday, March 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Washington (CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration is offering mixed signals as to whether it believes United Nations approval is necessary to act against Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s regime in Libya.

In an interview with CBS News, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, I think it's very important that there be a UN decision on whatever might be done."

During the White House press briefing, CBS News asked about the possibility that U.N. Security Council members Russia and China would block action against Libya, and if that eliminates the possibility of action.

“It is our strong preference that actions we take are done in concert with our international partners,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

CBS News reporter Chip Reid followed, “But the U.N. is not just an international partner. That means Security Council and that means Russia and China.”

Carney repeated, “It is our strong preference that in this situation and many others that we act together with our international partners, because collectively we are stronger than we are individually in cases like this.

“It is also obviously the case, again, not just referring to this specific action, but obviously the case that we always reserve the right to act – NATO does rather and the United States does – to act on its own,” Carney said. “Let me just be careful and say it is our strong preference and what we are working for right now is to work with the United Nations and NATO and all of our international partners on a variety of considerations through a variety of options.”

Carney said that is not meant to contradict anything that Clinton said.

“I am not walking back from that statement at all,” he said. “I would just refer you to the State Department, but it is very important that we work with the United Nations.”

Britain and France have come out strongly for a no-fly zone, but Obama administration officials such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this could be a costly move. 

In the interview on the CBS Early Show, Clinton said, “The British and French governments are going to the United Nations with a draft resolution that would authorize international action. I think it's very important that there be a UN decision on whatever might be done.”

Clinton continued, “We don’t want there to be any room for anyone, including Col. Gadhafi, to say that ‘This isn’t about my people, this is about outsiders,’ because that would be doing a grave disservice to the sacrifice of the people in Libya.”