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Russia's Putin Lifts Sanctions On Libya
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U.N. sanctions were
imposed on Libya after the 1988 airliner bombing of U.S. Pan Am
flight 103 over Lockerbie
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MOSCOW,
November 20 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Russian President
Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting all sanctions imposed on Libya,
the Kremlin press service said in a statement Thursday, November 20, as
U.S. officials expected that the U.S. Administration would send a signal
to Libya as to lifting sanctions in case of U.S. fear alleviation
regarding terrorism and mass destruction weapons,
"All
state agencies, industry, trade, financial, transport and other
companies and banks and organizations, all legal bodies and persons
under the Russian Federation's jurisdiction must act on the basis of the
fact that sanctions against Libya were lifted starting September 12,
2003," the decree said according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
On
September 12, the U.N. Security
Council lifted U.N. sanctions on Libya imposed after the 1988
airliner bombing of U.S. Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland,
that killed 270 people.
The
U.N. sanctions, including an air and arms-sales embargo, were suspended
in 1999 after Libya released the two suspects to stand trial for the
Lockerbie bombing.
Meanwhile,
U.S. officials expected that the U.S. Administration will send a signal
to Libya concerning lifting the sanctions if U.S. worries regarding
terrorism and mass destruction weapons were alleviated.
Washington
wants to send a message to the effect that Libya's cooperation to end
its alleged support for terrorism and its seeking to have chemical and
biological weapons may lead to lifting some U.S. sanctions, U.S.
officials, who refused to be named, said on Wednesday November 19.
It
is expected that such a signal will take place when the time comes for
Washington to renew its ban, imposed 22 years ago, on U.S. citizens
traveling to Libya. The ban, however, will be reviewed every 90 days,
the officials said.
"President
Bush's administration has cancelled its decision to extend the ban for
only 90 days due to the opposition of Lockerbie victims' families and
members of the Congress," another U.S. official, who refused to be
named, told Reuters News Agency.
Libya's
approval in August 2003 to take responsibility for the explosion of a
Pan American airliner in 1988 in Scotland and payment of up to $ 2.7
billions for families of the victims have removed a large obstacle on
the way of lifting the ban.
No
Technical Reasons
U.S.
officials say that there are no technical reasons to keep the ban, which
was imposed in December 1981 because the U.S. feared its citizens would
be exposed to attacks in Libya after U.S. fighter planes shot down two
Libyan planes during U.S. marine maneuvers in the Mediterranean earlier
this year.
U.S.
officials have previously studied in 2000 extending the ban on traveling
to Libya for 90 days only, but they refused the proposal for several
reasons, including non-settlement of Lockerbie issue until then.
Yet,
after reaching a settlement for the Lockerbie issue in August 2003,
Washington has specified certain terms to lift its economic sanctions on
Libya.
U.S.
sanction on Libya includes a ban imposed in 1982 on the Libyan oil
exports to the U.S., such sanctions have been intensified in 1986 to
include direct trade, commercial contracts and travel-related
activities.
Konoko,
Marathon Oil and Amerada Hiss Corp. are among the U.S. oil companies
that were forced to leave Libya due to the sanctions.
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