News

DATE=8/24/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237589 TITLE=U-S / LOCKERBIE (L) BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN HAVE AGREED TO SET UP A SCOTTISH COURT IN THE NETHERLANDS TO TRY TWO LIBYAN SUSPECTS WANTED IN THE TERRORIST BOMBING OF AN AMERICAN AIRLINER OVER SCOTLAND 10 YEARS AGO. CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE REPORTS SOME RELATIVES OF THE 259 PEOPLE KILLED ON THE FLIGHT ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE DECISION. TEXT: IN SIMULTANEOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS IN WASHINGTON AND LONDON, THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN DROPPED LONG-STANDING DEMANDS THAT THE TWO LIBYANS FACE TRIAL IN EITHER COUNTRY. INSTEAD, BOTH GOVERNMENTS ARE MOVING AHEAD WITH A PLAN FOR SCOTTISH JUDGES TO HEAR THE CASE IN THE HAGUE, ADMITTING THAT YEARS OF U-N SANCTIONS HAVE FAILED TO GET LIBYA TO HAND THE SUSPECTS OVER FOR JUSTICE IN EITHER COUNTRY. IN ANNOUNCING THE CHANGE, SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT NOTED LIBYA'S CONCERNS THAT THE SUSPECTS WOULD NOT RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL IN THE UNITED STATES OR BRITAIN HAVE HOW BEEN ADDRESSED. // ALBRIGHT ACT // WE NOTE THAT LIBYA HAS REPEATEDLY STATED ITS READINESS TO DELIVER THE SUSPECTS FOR TRIAL BY A SCOTTISH COURT SITTING IN A THIRD COUNTRY. THIS APPROACH HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE ARAB LEAGUE, THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY, THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE AND THE NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT. WE NOW CHALLENGE LIBYA TO TURN PROMISES INTO DEEDS. THE SUSPECTS SHOULD BE SURRENDERED FOR TRIAL PROMPTLY. // END ACT // THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN CALL IT A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL, ONE THAT IS NOT UP FOR NEGOTIATION BUT ONE WHICH IS -- AS SECRETARY ALBRIGHT PUT IT -- INTENDED TO CALL LIBYA'S BLUFF. BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT, SHE SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE RELATIVES OF THOSE KILLED ON PAN AM FLIGHT 103 WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING NEARLY A DECADE FOR JUSTICE. DANIEL COHEN, WHO LOST HIS ONLY DAUGHTER IN THE BLAST, DENOUNCED THE PLAN AS A COMPROMISE TO TERRORISTS. // COHEN ACT // WHAT I'M AFRAID WE'RE DOING, DESPITE ALL OF THE TALK ABOUT THIS (BEING) ABSOLUTELY NON-NEGOTIABLE, WE'VE GOT AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS LOSING THE SANCTIONS WAR, UNQUESTIONABLY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THIS THING OFF THE TABLE SOMEHOW AND THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE TOO MANY COMPROMISES AND I'M AFRAID WE'RE GOING TO GET COMPROMISED INTO GOD KNOWS WHAT. FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW, MY ONLY CHILD IS DEAD. I'M NOT GOING TO BENEFIT FROM A TRIAL, GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY, SHE'S NOT COMING BACK. THE COUNTRY IS HOWEVER, GOING TO SUFFER BY HAVING SET THIS KIND OF A PRECEDENT, BY THIS KIND OF COMPROMISE WITH AN UNRECONSTRUCTED TERRORIST STATE. // END ACT // SINCE 1992, LIBYA HAS BEEN UNDER U-N IMPOSED SANCTIONS CUTTING AIR LINKS AND ARMS SALES TO THE COUNTRY UNTIL IT HANDS OVER THE TWO SUSPECTS -- SUSPECTS THE UNITED STATES SAYS HAVE CONNECTIONS TO LIBYAN INTELLIGENCE. (SIGNED) NEB/NJS/KL 24-Aug-98 2:05 PM EDT (1805 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .