DATE=4/6/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-247697 TITLE= LOCKERBIE / MIDEAST REACT (L/O) BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: ITALY'S FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBERTO DINI HAS FLOWN TO LIBYA, ONE DAY AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS SUSPENDED SANCTIONS THAT INCLUDED A BAN ON AIR TRAVEL TO THE NORTH AFRICAN NATION. MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB REPORTS FROM OUR CAIRO BUREAU THAT THE SANCTIONS WERE SUSPENDED MONDAY, AFTER LIBYA SURRENDERED TWO SUSPECTS WANTED IN THE LOCKERBIE BOMBING CASE. TEXT: THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WAS THE FIRST FOREIGN OFFICIAL TO FLY TO LIBYA FOLLOWING THE SUSPENSION OF THE SANCTIONS. HIS SPOKESMAN CALLED IT THE FIRST STEP TOWARD LIBYA'S REINCLUSION IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. // OPT // LIBYA SURRENDERED THE TWO SUSPECTS TO U-N OFFICIALS MONDAY AND THEY WERE FLOWN TO THE NETHERLANDS FOR TRIAL. THEY ARE ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING THE BOMBING OF A PASSENGER PLANE OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND, 10 YEARS AGO, IN WHICH 270 PEOPLE WERE KILLED. // END OPT // GOVERNMENTS AND NEWS MEDIA ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY WELCOMED THE HAND OVER AND THE ARAB AND AFRICAN DIPLOMACY THAT HELPED BRING IT ABOUT. THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ARAB LEAGUE, ESMAT ABDEL-MEGUID, TOLD V-O-A TUESDAY THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE YEARS AGO PROPOSED THE TRIAL BE HELD IN A NEUTRAL COUNTRY, LIKE THE NETHERLANDS. BUT HE SAID BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES REJECTED THE COMPROMISE --UNTIL LAST AUGUST. MR. ABDEL-MEGUID SAYS IT TOOK ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO REACH AGREEMENT ON CERTAIN GUARANTEES SOUGHT BY LIBYA. // ABDEL-MEGUID ACT // I AM SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS. PERSONALLY, YES. ALL PARTIES MADE CONCESSIONS. AND THE RESULT WAS THE COMPROMISE SOLUTION. LIBYA HAS ASKED FOR GUARANTEES. YES, I THINK THEY ARE ENTITLED TO GUARANTEES. // END ACT // THE ARAB LEAGUE OFFICIAL WOULD NOT PREDICT THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL BUT HE UNDERSCORED THAT UNDER THE LAW, THE SUSPECTS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. A SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST WITH CAIRO'S "AL-AHRAM CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES," HALA MOUSTAFA, SAYS THE SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA WERE THE DECIDING FACTOR IN THE BREAKTHROUGH. // MOUSTAFA ACT // THESE INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS SUCCEEDED TO ISOLATE LIBYA FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPHERE, AND AT THE SAME TIME PUT MORE PRESSURE ON ITS ECONOMY. AND I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION. // END ACT // PROFESSOR MOUSTAFA BELIEVES LIBYA'S RELATIONS WITH ARAB COUNTRIES NOW SHOULD MOVE TOWARD NORMALIZATION, AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF STRAIN. LIBYA CRITICIZED ARAB COUNTRIES FOR REFUSING TO BREAK THE SANCTIONS, WHILE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS IGNORED THE BAN ON AIR TRAVEL FOR OFFICIAL AND RELIGIOUS EXCHANGES. PROFESSOR MOUSTAFA SAYS SHE EXPECTS RELATIONS WITH WESTERN COUNTRIES IN GENERAL TO IMPROVE. /// REST OPT./// THE EXILED LIBYAN OPPOSITION, HOWEVER, BELIEVES NOTHING WILL CHANGE. A LEADER OF THE CAIRO-BASED, LIBYAN SALVATION FRONT, FAIZ JABRIL, SAYS ENDING THE SANCTIONS WILL NOT HELP LIBYA BECAUSE OF THE AUTHORITARIAN MANNER IN WHICH COLONEL MUAMMAR GADHAFI RULES THE COUNTRY. // JABRIL ACT // THE LIBYANS WILL CONTINUE SUFFERING A LOT OF ECONOMIC PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF HIS (GADHAFI) WAY OF RULING THE COUNTRY. WE DON'T HAVE A CONSTITUTION. WE DON'T HAVE A GOVERNMENT ELECTED. WE DON'T HAVE ELECTIONS. WE DON'T HAVE NO (ANY) THINKERS, NO SCHOLARS, NO FREE OPINIONS. WE DON'T HAVE NO LEADERS, ACTUALLY. // END ACT // MR. JABRIL ALSO SAYS HE DOES NOT EXPECT RELATIONS TO IMPROVE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, IF THE TRIAL REVEALS THAT THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT WAS BEHIND THE LOCKERBIE BOMBING. HE SAYS THIS WOULD PROVE THAT THE GADHAFI REGIME HAS NOT ONLY USED TERRORISM AGAINST ITS OWN PEOPLE, BUT ALSO AGAINST WHAT HE CALLED INNOCENT CIVILIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. (SIGNED) NEB/SB/PCF 06-Apr-99 1:09 PM EDT (1709 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .