News

DATE=9/6/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-238221 TITLE=LIBYA/LOCKERBIE (L) BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADHAFI SAYS CERTAIN GUARANTEES WILL BE NECESSARY BEFORE LIBYA WILL ALLOW THE EXTRADITION OF TWO LIBYAN SUSPECTS FOR TRIAL IN THE BOMBING OF A PAN-AM PASSENGER JET 10-YEARS AGO OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND. THE LIBYAN LEADER ANNOUNCED THE CONDITIONS IN RESPONSE TO A RECENT OFFER BY THE U-S AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO TRANSFER THE SUSPECTS TO A THIRD, NEUTRAL COUNTRY FOR TRIAL, AS WE HEAR FROM CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB IN OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU IN CAIRO. TEXT: LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADHAFI SAYS HE WANTS GUARANTEES THE NETHERLANDS, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED NEUTRAL SITE FOR THE TRIAL, WILL BE THE LAST STOP FOR THE LIBYAN SUSPECTS, WHETHER THEY ARE CONVICTED OR ACQUITTED. COLONEL GADHAFI SAID HE BELIEVES THE BRITISH AND U-S GOVERNMENTS WANT TO USE THE NETHERLANDS, IN HIS WORDS, AS A BRIDGE, IN ORDER TO TAKE THE SUSPECTS TO BRITAIN. HE SAID LIBYA DOES NOT ACCEPT THE BRITISH/U-S AGREEMENT ON HOLDING THE TRIAL IN THE NETHERLANDS OR THE U-N SECURITY-COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT ENDORSES IT. THE U-N RESOLUTION, PASSED LAST MONTH, CALLS FOR LIFTING INTERNATIONAL TRADE SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA IF THE SUSPECTS ARE SENT TO THE NETHERLANDS FOR TRIAL. IT FOLLOWED THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE U-S AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS THEY ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT A TRIAL OF THE SUSPECTS IN THE NETHERLANDS USING SCOTTISH LAW AND A SCOTTISH JUDGE. THE PROPOSAL WAS BILLED AS A COMPROMISE AIMED AT ENDING THE LONG-DELAYED EFFORTS TO BRING JUSTICE AND CLOSURE TO THE ATTACK. THE PAN-AM JUMBO JET CRASHED, KILLING 270 PEOPLE, 10YEARS AGO, NEAR LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND. A LENGTHY INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BOMB HAD EXPLODED ON BOARD AND IDENTIFIED TWO LIBYAN CITIZENS AS THE SUSPECTED BOMBERS. THE SUSPECTS, BASSET ALI AL-MEGRAHI AND AL-AMIN KHALIFA FHAMIA, TOOK REFUGE IN LIBYA. LIBYA REFUSED TO HAND OVER THE TWO SUSPECTS, SAYING IT FEARED THEY WOULD NOT RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL. THE REFUSAL LED TO INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN FORCE SINCE 1992. THE SANCTIONS INCLUDE A BAN ON AIR TRAVEL TO AND FROM LIBYA, A BAN ON WEAPONS SALES TO LIBYA AND LIMITS ON PURCHASES OF LIBYAN OIL. /// REST OPT /// THE DEMAND BY COLONEL GADHAFI FOR GUARANTEES IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THE STANDOFF OVER THE LOCKERBIE TRIAL. THE BRITISH AND U-S GOVERNMENTS OFFERED THE COMPROMISE SAYING IT SHOULD BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT CONDITIONS. COLONEL GADHAFI MADE THE REMARKS IN A SPEECH IN TRIPOLI MARKING THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUP THAT BROUGHT HIM TO POWER. FIVE AFRICAN HEADS-OF-STATE ATTENDED THE CEREMONIES, AFTER FLYING TO TRIPOLI IN VIOLATION OF THE BAN ON AIR TRAVEL TO LIBYA. AT ITS SUMMIT LAST JUNE, THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY VOTED TO ALLOW AIR LINKS BETWEEN LIBYA AND O-A-U MEMBERS FOR RELIGIOUS AND REGIONAL DIPLOMATIC PURPOSES. COLONEL GADHAFI PRAISED THE LEADERS FROM CHAD, MALI, NIGER, SUDAN, AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC FOR BREAKING THE SANCTIONS. HE URGED LIBYANS TO LOOK TO AFRICA AND SAID HE WOULD PROPOSE WHAT HE CALLED A NEW CONCEPT OF AFRICAN UNITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHARTER OF THE O-A-U. (SIGNED) NEB/SB/DW/RAE 06-Sep-98 10:48 AM EDT (1448 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .