LIBYA: Libya was to present a letter to the United Nations last night taking responsibility for the actions of its officials in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, a senior US official said.
The official said the Libyan letter - whose delivery was delayed by the massive blackouts in New York - would renounce terrorism, pledge co-operation in future Lockerbie criminal investigations and instruct its central bank to pay $2.7 billion in compensation to families of the 270 victims.
Once Libya has met all the conditions, the official said, the United States would not oppose lifting United Nations sanctions on Tripoli, but stressed that this did not mean any automatic end to highly- restrictive US sanctions.
"Libya does not deserve a clean bill of health. It has . . . met the minimum standard for the lifting of UN sanctions but we continue (to) . . . have serious concerns about pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile systems, human rights, meddling in the affairs of other countries, especially in Africa."
The official said the process of Libya accepting responsibility had been complicated by the power blackouts in New York City, adding that there were US officials walking around Manhattan trying to make sure the letter gets delivered.
"We have people running around trying to ensure that this letter is delivered," said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition that he not be named.
"That is going to happen today."