News

DATE=8/29/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237857 TITLE=LIBYA/LOCKERBIE (L) BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: LIBYAN LEADER MOAMMAR GADHAFI NOW SAYS HE WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY HAND OVER TWO LIBYAN MEN SUSPECTED OF BOMBING AN AMERICAN AIRLINER OVER SCOTLAND IN 1988. RICHARD ENGEL REPORTS FROM CAIRO THAT SOME ANALYSTS SEE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS ANOTHER ATTEMPT BY LIBYA TO STALL THE EXTRADITIONS. TEXT: MR. GADHAFI TOLD QATARI TELEVISION LATE FRIDAY THAT HE WANTS TO NEGOTIATE THE TERMS UNDER WHICH THE TWO LIBYANS -- SUSPECTED OF DESTROYING PAN AM FLIGHT 103 AS IT WAS FLYING OVER THE SCOTTISH TOWN OF LOCKERBIE -- ARE TO BE EXTRADITED TO A COURT IN THE NETHERLANDS. BOTH BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE SAID THEIR OFFER TO HOLD THE TRIAL IN A THIRD COUNTRY IS NOT OPEN TO NEGOTIATION. A PROMINENT LIBYAN DISSIDENT NOW LIVING IN CAIRO, MOHAMMED FAIZ JABRIL, SAYS THAT LIBYA IS TRYING TO DELAY THE EXTRADITION OF THE SUSPECTS BECAUSE THE TRIAL COULD EXPOSE THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE BOMBING WHICH KILLED 270 PEOPLE. ///INSERT FAIZ JABRIL ACT/// GADHAFI KNOWS THAT HE IS INVOLVED AND HE KNOWS THAT HIS INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WAS DIRECTED BY HIM AND HE KNOWS THAT THE COURT WILL FIND OUT HIS PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT. BECAUSE IF HE WAS INNOCENT AND HIS REGIME WAS INNOCENT, WHY DOES HE HESITATE SO MUCH? ///END ACT/// LIBYA IS ALSO ACCUSED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE MID-FLIGHT BOMBING OF A FRENCH U-T-A FLIGHT OVER NIGER IN 1989 WHICH KILLED 171 PEOPLE. MR. JABRIL SAYS THE U-T-A BOMBING COULD HAVE BEEN ORDERED BECAUSE OF HIS OWN WEDDING. HIS FATHER-IN-LAW -- THEN THE LEADER OF THE LIBYAN NATIONAL SALVATION FRONT, A CHAD-BASED GROUP OPPOSED TO MR. GADHAFI -- WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE ILL-FATED U-T-A FLIGHT TO ATTEND MR. JABRIL'S WEDDING IN CAIRO. HOWEVER, HE CHANGED HIS TRAVEL PLANS AT THE LAST MINUTE. A U-N RESOLUTION PASSED THURSDAY INSISTED THAT LIBYA SATISFY A FRENCH INVESTIGATION INTO THE U-T-A BOMBING. THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL ALSO PROMISED TO SUSPEND SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA IF THE TWO SUSPECTS WERE TAKEN TO THE NETHERLANDS FOR TRIAL -- WHILE THREATENING TO MAKE THOSE SANCTIONS MORE SEVERE IF LIBYA REFUSES TO EXTRADITE THE TWO MEN. (SIGNED) NEB/RHE/DW 29-Aug-98 9:47 AM EDT (1347 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .