United Nations, Aug 16: Libya has handed over a letter to a United Nations Security Council meeting formally accepting responsibility for the 1998, thus clearing the way for lifting of sanctions against it. The United States and Britain also delivered letters to the Syrian president of the Security Council declaring that Libya had met the conditions required to lift UN sanctions by accepting full blame for the Lockerbie bombing and renouncing terrorism.
British ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones Parry said the next step was for Britain to circulate a draft resolution lifting UN sanctions, possibily on Monday.
The letter is part of a deal to compensate families of the 270 victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town, with Libya pledging to transfer $2.7bn (£1.7bn) to a Swiss bank account. It contains few details of the exact role of the Libyan Government in the bombing, but states, "Libya as a sovereign state has facilitated the bringing to justice of the two suspects charged with the bombing and accepts responsibility for the actions of its officials."
But earlier, the US said it would keep its own sanctions against Libya in place until there were further substantial changes in the nature of the Tripoli regime. Washington said it still had "serious concern" over the behaviour of the Libyan regime, citing its "poor human rights record" and " its continued and worrisome pursuit of weapons of mass destruction". Bureau Report