DATE=04/06/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11227
TITLE=LIBYA FINALLY SURRENDERS THE LOCKERBIE SUSPECTS
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: IT HAS TAKEN MORE THAN A DECADE, BUT THE MILITARY LEADER
OF LIBYA, COLONEL MUAMMAR GADHAFI, FINALLY RELEASED FOR TRIAL THE
TWO AGENTS BELIEVED RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BOMBING OF A PAN AM
JETLINER OVER SCOTLAND THAT KILLED 270 PEOPLE.
THE U-S MEDIA, WHICH HAS FOLLOWED THE STORY SINCE THE DECEMBER
1988 CRASH, AND THE TORTUOUS DIPLOMATIC PROCEEDINGS, WHICH
FINALLY RESULTED IN THE HANDOVER, HAS BEEN QUICK TO RESPOND WITH
COMMENT. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM ______________ IN TODAY'S
U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE TWO SUSPECTS -- LAMEN KHALIFA FHIMAH AND ABDEL BASSET
ALI AL-MEGRAHI -- ARE BELIEVED TO BE MEMBERS OF THE LIBYAN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE. /// OPT /// U-S AND BRITISH LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENTS WHO DID A PAINSTAKING INVESTIGATION OF THE
CRASH, THINK THEY PLACED A SMALL BOMB ABOARD THE PLANE DURING A
STOPOVER IN LONDON, WHERE THEY GOT OFF. /// END OPT ///
THE PLANE BLEW UP OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND KILLING EVERYONE ON
BOARD AND SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, WHERE IT MADE A HUGE
CRATER IN THE SMALL VILLAGE. BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, THE MEN
HAVE BEEN TURNED OVER TO SCOTTISH POLICE FOR A TRIAL IN THE
NETHERLANDS, BEFORE SCOTTISH JUDGES, AND UNDER SCOTTISH LAW.
SHOULD THEY BE FOUND GUILTY, THEY WOULD SPEND TIME IN A SCOTTISH
PRISON. WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING OF COMMENT IN TEXAS, WHERE "THE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE" WONDERS ON WHOSE ORDERS THE MEN WERE WORKING?
VOICE: /// OPT /// IN TURNING ABDEL BASSET ALI AL-MEGRAHI AND
AL-AMIN KHALIFA FHIMAH OVER FOR TRIAL, LIBYAN STRONGMAN
MUAMMAR GADHAFI WINS SUSPENSION OF THE ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AGAINST HIS
COUNTRY FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, ALTHOUGH UNILATERAL
SANCTIONS BY THE UNITED STATES REMAIN IN PLACE. /// END
OPT /// ... WHILE THE TRIAL IS A START TOWARD
WESTERN-STYLE JUSTICE, FRIENDS AND RELATIVES OF THOSE
WHO DIED IN [THE ... BOMBING] ... 259 PEOPLE ON BOARD
AND ELEVEN PEOPLE ON THE GROUND ... ARE UNLIKELY TO
LEARN THE COMPLETE TRUTH BEHIND THE TERRORIST ACT FROM
ANY REVELATIONS [IN] COURT. ONE THING IS CLEAR. FOR
THE TWO LIBYANS TO HAVE CONCOCTED THE BOMBING PLAN AND
CARRIED IT OUT ALONE EXCEEDS RATIONAL BELIEF.
TEXT: THAT SAME THEME DOMINATES "THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE'S"
EDITORIAL, ENTITLED: "BUT WHO WAS THE MASTERMIND?"
VOICE: FAMILIES OF THE 270 VICTIMS .... ARE RIGHT TO BE
SKEPTICAL THAT ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE WILL FINALLY FACE
JUSTICE FOR THAT UNSPEAKABLE CRIME. /// OPT /// ... SOME
RELATIVES OF THE DEAD ARE UNDERSTANDABLY DOUBTFUL THE
PAIR IN CUSTODY ACTED ON THEIR OWN, WITHOUT OFFICIAL
AUTHORITY. 'WE'RE TRYING THE CONCENTRATION CAMP GUARDS
INSTEAD OF THE COMMANDANT. IN A SOCIETY SUCH AS
LIBYA'S, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TWO FREE-LANCERS
GOING OUT ON THEIR OWN (TO) COMMIT AN ACT LIKE THIS,'
SAID GEORGE WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT OF VICTIMS OF PANAM
FLIGHT 103, WHOSE 24 YEAR-OLD SON GEORGIE WAS KILLED IN
THE CRASH. WE SHARE HIS SUSPICIONS, /// END OPT /// BUT
BY TURNING OVER THE SUSPECTS FOR TRIAL AT LEAST THE
WORLD WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED
AND TESTED IN COURT AFTER 10 YEARS OF DOUBT ANYONE WOULD
EVER BE PROSECUTED. /// OPT /// LIBYA'S SURRENDER OF
THE TWO PRIME SUSPECTS IS A STEP - - HOWEVER INCOMPLETE
- - TOWARD SOLVING ONE OF THE CENTURY'S WORST ACTS OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: IN SOUTH FLORIDA, "THE MIAMI HERALD" WRITES THAT IN
TURNING OVER THE TWO SUSPECTS, SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA CAME TO AN
END:
VOICE: /// OPT /// IN LESS THAN A DAY, THE UNITED NATIONS
REWARDED LIBYA FOR DOING WHAT IT HAD AVOIDED DOING FOR
3-THOUSAND-753 DAYS .... [ALLOWING] THE TRANSFER TO THE
NETHERLANDS OF TWO LIBYANS SUSPECTED OF THE 1988 BOMBING
OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103 OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND /// END
OPT /// ...SUSPENSION OF THE SANCTIONS ... MEANS THAT
LIBYA CAN ENJOY INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL AND BUY BOTH
WEAPONS AND OIL-PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AGAIN. /// OPT ///
MANY FAMILIES OF THE ...VICTIMS CONSIDER GADHAFI A
CONSPIRATOR IN THE BOMBING. BUT HE WON'T STAND TRIAL
WITH HIS TWO COUNTRYMEN. IS THIS JUSTICE? NO. BUT IT
IS BETTER THAN NO TRIAL OF TWO BELIEVED RESPONSIBLE FOR
THIS STILL SHOCKING ACT OF TERRORISM. /// END OPT ///
/// OPT ///
TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" CALLS THE SURRENDER OF THE MEN FOR
TRIAL, A "PAYOFF IN RESPECTING GLOBAL LAW, " AND ADMITS THAT
WHILE COLONEL GADHAFI REMAINS AT LARGE, THE TRIAL REMAINS A
STRONG, HOWEVER LIMITED VICTORY FOR DIPLOMACY AND LAW.
VOICE: IT'S TRUE THAT THE TRIAL MIGHT NOT LEAD ALL THE WAY TO
THE PUPPET MASTERS OF THIS TRAGEDY; SYRIA AND EVEN IRAN
HAVE BEEN SUSPECTED OF SOME ROLE IN THE LOCKERBIE CRASH,
ALONG WITH LIBYA. BUT IT BOLSTERS THE RULE OF LAW,
ALWAYS A DEVELOPMENT TO APPLAUD.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: "USA TODAY," THE NATIONAL DAILY PUBLISHED IN A WASHINGTON,
D-C SUBURB, CALLS IT "A VICTORY FOR DIPLOMACY."
VOICE: ...IT'S A SIGHT FEW EVER EXPECTED TO SEE: (LIBYAN LEADER
MUAMMAR) GADHAFI, NOTORIOUS FOR HIS ANTI-WESTERN TIRADES
AND LINKED TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES ACROSS EUROPE AND THE
MIDDLE EAST IN THE '70S AND '80S, LETTING TWO OF HIS
REPUTED SECRET AGENTS FLY OFF TO BE TRIED BY A SCOTTISH
COURT SITTING IN THE NETHERLANDS. /// OPT /// ....
WHETHER THE BOMB-PLOT EVIDENCE GATHERED IN AN EXHAUSTIVE
... SEARCH BY BRITISH AND U-S DETECTIVES STANDS UP IN
COURT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. ... BUT AGAINST FRESH
REMINDERS FROM KOSOVO OF HOW FEW TERRORISTS AND WAR
CRIMINALS ARE EVER BROUGHT TO TRIAL, THE SUCCESSFUL
DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC SQUEEZE ON LIBYA IS GOOD NEWS
FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. /// END OPT ///
/// OPT ///
TEXT: ON THE ISSUE OF THE WIDER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HEINOUS
CRIME, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" ADDS:
VOICE: EARLIER THIS YEAR [U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI] ANNAN,
WITH AMERICAN APPROVAL, ASSURED COLONEL GADHAFI THAT
ONLY THE TWO SUSPECTS, NOT THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT, WOULD
BE PUT ON TRIAL. IN A LITERAL SENSE, THAT IS AS IT
SHOULD BE. BUT MR. ANNAN'S ASSURANCE SHOULD NOT
PRECLUDE QUESTIONING ABOUT WHO MIGHT HAVE ORDERED THE
SUSPECTS TO CARRY OUT THE BOMBING.THERE REMAIN MANY
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCKERBIE CASE, INCLUDING
WHETHER SYRIA OR IRAN MAY ALSO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE. THE
TRIAL SHOULD BE USED TO ESTABLISH A FULLER PICTURE ...
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON THE TURNOVER TO
SCOTTISH AUTHORITIES IF THE NETHERLANDS OF THE TWO MEN SUSPECTED
IN THE PAN AM JETLINERS BOMBING OVER SCOTLAND ELEVEN YEARS AGO.
NEB/ANG/GE
06-Apr-99 12:11 PM EDT (1611 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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