Global Policy Forum

Need for Oil Cash May Force Tripoli's Hand

By Nicholas Watt

Britain and the US joined forces yesterday to call on Libya to comply with a series of UN security council resolutions on the Lockerbie bombing as a key step towards ending its pariah status. Within minutes of the appeal court ruling from Camp Zeist, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said: "Libya has shown a desire to turn away from international terrorism, but I urge Libya to comply with the terms of the United Nations resolutions." His remarks were echoed by the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, who said that Libya still had a lot more to do before the US removes sanctions imposed after the 1988 bombings. "The completion of the appeal does not end US sanctions against Libya, but should spur Libya to take quick action to fully comply with the requirements of the UN security council," he said.

Britain and the US have been involved in intensive talks with Libya to persuade it to comply with the UN resolutions which call on Tripoli to renounce terrorism, accept responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing, cooperate with a criminal investigation and award compensation to the relatives of the victims. Britain also wants the Libyan authorities to cooperate with the police investigation into the shooting of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the "Libyan people's bureau" in London in 1984. British officials are hoping that the failure of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi's appeal will persuade Tripoli to take the negotiations more seriously. "The Libyans were waiting to see the outcome of the appeal and we are hoping that there will now be a change of pace," one government source said.

Although a series of steps have been taken in recent years to normalise relations, significant hurdles still have to be cleared before Libya is fully accepted by both Britain and the US. Britain resumed diplomatic ties with Libya in 1999 after it handed over both Lockerbie suspects and accepted "general responsibility" for the murder of WPC Fletcher. UN sanctions were also suspended in 1999, although they have yet to be formally lifted. Movement on that front, which will depend on the "trilateral negotiations" between Britain, the US and Libya, would clear the way for the US to lift its own sanctions and to follow Britain's example and restore diplomatic relations.

British ministers believe that the Libyan leader, colonel Muammar Gadafy, is keen to normalise ties to open up his country's oil and gas reserves. "There is a process and we do not believe that Libya wants to go backwards," a source said. Another source voiced the hope that yesterday's ruling from Camp Zeist may pave the way for detectives investigating WPC Fletcher's murder to visit Libya for the first time.

Stumbling blocks remain, however. A key issue is compensation for the relatives of the 273 bombing victims, who are demanding £4.2bn. Col Gadafy's son, Seif el-Islam, a charity director, said earlier this month that Tripoli was prepared to make payments, although this was greeted with a great deal of scepticism in both London and Washington. Anthony Cordesman, a former official at the US state department and Middle East expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said that Washington remains deeply sceptical of Libya. He said that if Libya complies with the UN resolutions diplomatic ties could resume. But he added: "There would still be worries about the proliferation of weapons in Libya and its efforts to acquire chemical, biological and radiological weapons. "We would also have to ask very carefully what Libya's attitude will be to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Libya would also have to make clear that it is no longer a supporter of terrorism."

Such scepticism is not shared in Britain, which appears to be keener on ending Libya's long-running pariah status. There was speculation last night that a positive response to yesterday's appeal ruling could pave the way for the first British ministerial visit to Libya in decades. Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman who often reflects government thinking on uncontentious issues such as Libya, said: "The US may go its own way but I cannot see Britain doing anything to maintain the status quo [on sanctions]. "There is now an opportunity, if Libya is sufficiently cooperative, to put relations on a much stronger footing."

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