DATE=3/25/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=LIBYA/US (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260599
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-S State Department officials plan to arrive
in Libya today (Saturday) to assess whether the
country is a safe place for Americans to visit or
work. From Cairo, Lisa Bryant reports that some Arab
analysts believe the visit by U-S officials marks a
possible shift in Washington's policy toward Libya.
TEXT: The Libyan government has welcomed the journey
to Tripoli by the U-S consular officials, whose visit
will help decide whether to lift an American travel
ban against Libya.
Hassouna Chaouch, Libya's deputy minister for foreign
affairs, told the Reuters news agency that Tripoli
welcomed the American delegation, and hoped that other
visits by U-S officials would follow.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Tripoli
have been broken since 1981. Five years later, the U-
S froze Libyan assets and imposed a trade embargo
after accusing the country of supporting international
terrorism.
Indeed, there has reportedly been no official high-
level contact between the two countries since the 1988
bombing of a Pan Am airline over Lockerbie, Scotland.
But last year, the United Nations suspended sanctions
against Libya after Tripoli handed over two suspects
for trial in the bombing.
Since then, several European countries, including
Britain and Italy, have made diplomatic overtures
toward the regime of Libyan President Muammar Gadhafi.
Middle East analyst Mohammed Said el Sayed believes
the United States may eventually follow, as Washington
slowly changes its policy against so-called rogue
states in the Arab world.
/// EL SAYED ACT ///
The rogue states doctrine was already finished a
year or more ago. The American administration
is now replacing it with new doctrines. We are
aware that most of the world opinion as well as
major American lobbies were lobbying hard
against this rogue state doctrine -- and it
didn't work anyway.
/// END EL SAYED ACT ///
Last year, the Clinton administration eased
restrictions for some food sales to Iran, Libya and
Sudan. Now, some Arab analysts predict Washington may
partially ease trade sanctions against Tripoli in the
near future -- just as it did recently with Tehran.
Walid Khazziha, a political scientist at the American
University in Cairo, says the potential change in U-S
policy is driven by a desire for greater political and
economic stability in the Middle East. He also says
changes in both Iran and Libya have helped ease U-S
fears.
/// KHAZZIHA ACT ///
The Libyans have taken a few steps toward
comforting the Americans, reassuring the United
States of their position in the region, and that
it's not a rogue state any more, that it's a
state that's willing to abide by international
law and the U-N Security resolution. It's a
state which is favoring more the stability of
the region around it.
/// END ACT ///
But right now, Khazziha and others say, there are
still many unknowns. One is the outcome of the
Lockerbie airline case. The two Libyan suspects are
scheduled to go on trial for their alleged role in the
bombing in May. (Signed)
NEB/LB/ALW/JP
25-Mar-2000 10:11 AM EDT (25-Mar-2000 1511 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
