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23 September 1997

ALBRIGHT, COOK: U.S., BRITAIN REMAIN FIRM ON LIBYAN SANCTIONS

(Libya must turn over Lockerbie bombing suspects for trial) (420)
By Judy Aita
USIA United Nations Correspondent
New York -- The United States and Great Britain will continue to
insist on sanctions until Libya turns over the Lockerbie bombing
suspects for trial, senior officials from both countries said
September 22.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said that "we believe the
Libya sanctions need to stay in place until the Libyans turn over the
suspects for the Lockerbie bombing."
Albright and British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook spoke with
journalists after a private dinner at the residence of Britain's
United Nations ambassador. The two officials are attending the opening
debate of the 52nd General Assembly session.
Cook said that there has been "some quite mistaken reporting of the
British Government's position" on the Lockerbie bombing.
"Our position is quite clear: this was an act of mass murder," Cook
said. "It cannot be laid to rest until there is a court hearing and
justice is seen to be done."
"We will continue to insist that those two men should stand trial and
should stand trial in the Scottish jurisdiction where they will get a
fair trial," the British minister said.
Neither official indicated what they will do if Arab nations follow
through on their decision to defy U.N. sanctions to allow planes
carrying Libyan leader Mu'ammar Qadhafi to land on their territory.
The resolution which was agreed to by 18 Arab foreign ministers at an
Arab League meeting in Cairo on September 21 also encouraged nations
to lift the freeze on Libyan accounts.
The mandatory sanctions, imposed by the Security Council in 1992, cut
air links to Libya because of Qadhafi's failure to cooperate with the
United States and Britain in the extradition of two Libyans suspected
in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 and with France in the
investigation of the bombing of a UTA flight. In 1993 the council
added to the original sanctions, freezing assets and embargoing
equipment needed by Libya's oil industry.
The sanctions are to remain in place until Libya cooperates with the
three nations; agrees to pay compensation; and demonstrates "by
concrete actions" that it has definitively ended all terrorist acts
and assistance to terrorist groups.
Over the past three years the council has declared that Libya, Niger,
Nigeria and Saudi Arabia violated the sanctions when Libyan flights
were allowed to land.