Claims of agreement for the Lockerbie issue
Libya-USA, Politics, 8/14/2003

A lawyer said that Libya and lawyers representing families of the victims of the Lockerbie plane explosion yesterday signed in London an agreement to open a bank account to deposit compensations at a cost of 2. 7 billion dollars.

Lawyer Saad Jabbar who follows the case since 1992 added that "Libya and the lawyers who represent the families of the victims signed an agreement to establish the special bank account at the international bank for settlements."

Following the agreement, Libya is expected to deposit 2.7 billion dollars in the account and to send a message to the UN Security Council announcing in it the acceptance of responsibility over the blowing up incident of the American plane over Lockerbie in 1988 in which 280 persons were killed. After that the US is expected, together with Britain to admit that Libya fulfilled the conditions to immediately lift of the sanctions imposed on it by the UN.

Jaber added "I expect sanctions to be lifted from Libya in the mid of next week."

However, asked "Do you have any update on Lockerbie? There are reports out of the UN that says that there's been a deal signed off on by all three relevant governments and the practical details are what remains to be worked out." State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker said Tuesday "I don't think I have anything particularly new. You know, we are pleased with the progress that has been made. As the Secretary said yesterday, we think we are getting closer to a settlement. We had yesterday in London -- I think we talked about it yesterday -- a working level meeting, a trilateral meeting, to discuss technical issues regarding Libya's obligations under UN Security Council resolutions related to the Lockerbie Pan Am 103 terrorist attack."

Reeker was asked "But your information doesn't go so far as to say there was a deal?" To which he said "No. I don't have any more details for you on that."

In a BBC interview Today, George Williams, the US Parent of one of the victims and the President of "Victims of Pan Am 103," a group which represents families of the 160 US victims who died claimed that a "paper" agreement exists between lawyers, but expressed fear that external factors may effect the deal to not go through. Williams insisted on the Libyan government itself to take the responsibility, and for Libya not to escape responsibility by laying the blame on an individual Libyan. He said "The only thing that would satisfy us more is to have Gathafi's head delivered on a platter to the United States, and let us all walk by it, and spit on it."

Previous Stories:
  Speculation that Lockerbie issue expected to be settled shortly   (8/7/2003)
  Washington: Libya has not met demands to solve the Lockerbie issue   (7/29/2003)
  Libya: the first celebration of the American national day after 20 years   (7/5/2003)

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