Libya asks for lifting of sanctions

Libya asked Tuesday the United Nations to lift its seven-year sanctions against the north African nation, saying that it had surrendered the two Libyans accused of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

"The politicization of this legal dispute, in whatever form or by anyone, is not acceptable," Libyan permanent representative to the United Nations Abuzed Omar Dorda said in a nine-page letter to the 15-nation Security Council.

Libya submitted the letter as the Security Council is to meet on a Friday report by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who said that Libya had complied with many demands set in the Security Council resolution, but he was unable to make a recommendation on lifting the sanctions.

Nevertheless, Dorda said Libya's assurance, taken in connection with the handover and his country's renunciation of terrorism were enough to justify the permanent lifting measures now.

Annan, in his report, said that Libya had pledged many times to cooperate with the trial and pay compensation if the two suspects were convicted, but acknowledged that he couldn't report on Libya's actual compliance on those points because the trial had not taken place.

However, the U.N. chief said that the United States needed more evidence before it would agree to lift the sanctions, mainly because the trial of the two suspects would not kick off before February 2000.

The sanctions, which include an air and arms embargo and a ban on some oil equipment, were suspended on April 5, when Tripoli surrendered for trial before a Scottish court in the Netherlands the two Libyan suspects, who were accused of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. A total of 270 people were killed in the explosion, and 189 of them were Americans.