American families demand Libya compensate UTA plane victims
Libya-France, Politics, 9/22/2005

Families of seven Americans who were killed in the attack against the "D C 109" plane of UTA company in 1989 asked the federal court in Washington to hold Libya responsible for the killing of the 170 passengers of the plane.

In a statement issued on Monday, the office of Lawyers "Crowell and Moring " said that the " request appealed before the court give detailed evidences and testimonies prove that prominent members in the Libyan government and the intelligence department are directly responsible for planning and placing a bag containing a bomb in the plane."

The attack against this plane which was flying between Brazavil and Paris on September 19, 1989 resulted in the killing of 170 persons of 17 various nationalities. In absentia in 1999, one French court sentences 6 Libyans including the brother in law of the Libyan President Mu'ammar al-Qathafi of life imprisonment. After 16 years, the French establishment responsible for following up the case announced it was authorized of distributing Libyan compensations estimated at USD 170 million for 92 of the families of the victims Libya had paid in 2004.

The French- Libyan agreement finalized in January 2004 states that USD one million to be paid for the family of every victim.

The statement by the law office said that a federal court in Washington, D.C. was asked today to rule that the Government of Libya and six of its intelligence agents, including the brother-in-law of Libyan leader, Muammar al-Qathafi, were guilty of carrying out the September 19, 1989 destruction of UTA Flight 772 as it flew over the North African desert towardÊParis.ÊThe UTA bombing took place nine months after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing more than 240 persons..The court filing disclosed for the first time detailed forensic evidence and testimony proving that high-ranking members of the Libyan government and intelligence services were directly responsible for planning and carrying out the placement of a suitcase bomb on the plane.

The statement added that after almost three years ofÊcourt proceedings, the families of the seven Americans who were among the 170 persons killed on the UTA flight have asked the federal court to immediately rule, through Òsummary judgmentÓ procedures, that Libya and its agents are responsible for the bombing.ÊIf accepted by the Court, a trial will not be heldÊand the Court would then determine the amount of damages, which could amount to more than $2 billion USD for loss of life and destruction of the DC-10 jumbo jet..The victims have submitted to the court extensive materials compiled during the investigation and resulting criminal proceedings conducted by authorities in France, headed by Magistrate Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere, that country's leading terrorism investigator.ÊIncluded are incriminating statements by former members of the Libyan intelligence agencies who have since fled Qathafi's regime, scientific proof directly connecting the Libyan government with the placement of a suitcase bomb on the aircraft, and evidence that Libya attempted to hide its role in the UTA bombing as the French investigators built their case, the statement said.Ê

Previous Stories:
  US expects action from Libya before normalizing relations   (8/23/2005)
  Libya refuses extension for the final date for Lockerbie compensations   (2/19/2005)
  Chirac hopes for strong relations with Libya with end of compensation issue   (1/10/2004)
  Libya pays 170 million for families of the French plane   (1/9/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search