US considers allowing travel to Libya
Libya-USA, Politics, 3/22/2000

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has authorized a consular visit to Libya to "assess safety conditions for American citizens in Libya" and to decide whether to allow US passports to be used to travel to or through Libya for the first time in more than 18 years.

A statement from the US State Department delivered by department spokesman James Rubin said, "This consular visit is unrelated to the trial of the suspects of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. It does not represent any change in the United States Government position on the bombing or the need for full Libyan compliance with UNSC resolutions."

It said that increasing travel to Libya by non-Americans had raised the question of whether the "imminent danger to U.S. travelers" that precipitated the restrictions still exist.

Meantime, Libyan sources said that a visit by a US consular delegation, arriving today, does not mean the opening of a new page in Libyan - US relations. The sources said Libya is not reaching to start a new page of relations between the two countries, adding that the US delegation is to discuss the security situation and see the stability in Libya and that they will neither tackle any other subjects nor interfere in Libyan internal affairs.

Previous Stories:
  On the US gesture toward Libya   (3/1/2000)
  US allowing more leeway to Libya   (2/28/2000)
  US sees change in Libya, reiterates position   (12/1/1999)

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