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LIBYAU.S. removes most sanctions Citing Libya's efforts to abandon its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 20 lifted most U.S. trade sanctions against the North African nation, clearing the way for $1.3 billion to be paid to the families of those killed when a bomb brought down Pam Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The move opens the way for direct air service between Libya and the United States, and possible American imports of Libyan oil. Even as the two nations pursued a path toward normal diplomatic relations, however, U.S. officials noted that Libya remained, in the eyes of the American government, a "state sponsor of terrorism." That official designation forbids U.S. companies from exporting to the North African country any equipment with potential military applications. In lifting the commercial sanctions, Bush was acting in the face of a threat that, if the United States did not act by Sept. 22, Libya would cancel its $1.3 billion in compensation payments to families of victims of the airline bombing.
The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 2, 2004 |
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