[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 135 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1898-E1899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HOUSE RESOLUTION 246--REJECTING ARAB LEAGUE CALL FOR EASING OF 
                        SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 30, 1997

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I call to the attention of the House a 
resolution which I have introduced with a number of our distinguished 
colleagues--House Resolution 246 which denounces and rejects a 
resolution adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League urging 
the easing of U.N. sanctions against Libya. Those sanctions were 
imposed, Mr. Speaker, because of Libya's refusal to surrender 
individuals on its territory who are wanted in connection with the 1988 
terrorist bombing of PanAm flight 103.
  In view of the action by the Arab League last week, Mr. Speaker, I 
think it is important that we reaffirm our commitment to the U.N. 
sanctions against the renegade Government of Libya. The resolution 
adopted by Arab League leaders last week in Cairo is an outrageous 
effort to weaken multilateral international sanctions against the 
renegade rogue regime in Libya. The government of Muammar el-Kaddafi 
has been one of the principal supporters of international terrorism. It 
is vital that we in the U.S. Congress make clear to these Arab 
countries our unequivocal rejection of their ill-conceived and 
counterproductive statement.
  At the Cairo Conference of Arab League Foreign Ministers on September 
21, the Ministers adopted a resolution calling for: ``Arab countries to 
undertake measures to ease the severity of the embargo imposed on Libya 
until a final, peaceful, and just solution to the crisis is reached;'' 
``to lift measures freezing Libyan accounts involving money, the source 
of which is other than the selling or exporting of oil''; ``to support 
Libya's right to obtain suitable compensation for human and material 
damages and losses it sustains as a result of pertinent U.N. Security 
Council resolutions''; and to exempt from sanctions Libyan ``flights 
related to participation of the Libyan political leadership and 
official delegations in regional and international meetings.''
  Mr. Speaker, sanctions were imposed against Libya by the U.N. 
Security Council for the failure of the Government of Libya to turn 
over to United States or British authorities two individuals living on 
its territory who have been directly implicated in the bombing of PanAm 
flight 103. That aircraft was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over 
Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1989. In that terrorist attack, 270 
innocent people from 30 countries, including many from the United 
States, died. The Libyan Government has also refused to turn over to 
French authorities individuals directly implicated in the bombing of 
French ATA flight 772 over Niger in 1988 in which some 160 individuals 
lost their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
important resolution. I also ask, Mr. Speaker, that the text of this 
resolution be printed in the Record.

                              H. Res. 246

       Whereas the United Nations Security Council adopted 
     Resolution 748 on March 31, 1992, imposing an embargo on the 
     sale of

[[Page E1899]]

     arms and on international flights against the state of Libya 
     and in Security Council Resolution 883 on November 11, 1993, 
     further tightened economic sanctions against Libya for its 
     refusal to surrender individuals suspected in connection with 
     the terrorist bombing in 1988 of Pan Am Flight 103 over 
     Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 individuals were killed and 
     the terrorist bombing in 1989 of the French ATA Flight 772 
     over Niger, in which 160 individuals were killed;
       Whereas the Security Council had repeatedly voted to 
     maintain these international sanctions against Libya in view 
     of the persistent refusal of the government of Libya to hand 
     over for trial the two individuals currently in Libya who are 
     accused of involvement in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 
     Flight 103 and ATA Flight 772;
       Whereas the United Nations sanctions provide for legitimate 
     humanitarian flights to and from Libya for medical and other 
     reasons, and flights of a religious nature to permit Libyan 
     residents to participate in the Hadj have been approved 
     routinely under the United Nations sanctions;
       Whereas Libya has repeatedly violated the United Nations 
     sanctions, most egregiously when an aircraft carrying Libyan 
     leader, Colonel Muammar el-Kaddafi, landed in Cairo, Egypt, 
     in July 1996 in order for the Libyan leader to participate in 
     an Arab summit meeting; and
       Whereas the foreign ministers of the Arab League meeting in 
     Cairo on September 21, 1997, adopted a resolution in which 
     the ministers invited ``Arab countries to undertake measures 
     to ease the severity of the embargo imposed on Libya until a 
     final, peaceful, and just solution to the crisis is 
     reached,'' ``to lift measures freezing Libyan accounts 
     involving money, the source of which is other than the 
     selling or exporting of oil,'' ``to support Libya's right to 
     obtain suitable compensation for human and material damages 
     and losses it sustains as a result of pertinent United 
     Nations Security Council resolutions,'' and to exempt from 
     sanctions Libyan ``flights related to participation of the 
     Libyan political leadership and official designations in 
     regional and international meetings'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) denounces and rejects in the strongest terms the 
     resolution adopted on September 21, 1997, by the foreign 
     minister of the Arab League in their conference in Cairo 
     which invites Arab states to take action to ease United 
     Nations sanctions against Libya;
       (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     support United Nations sanctions against Libya until the two 
     individuals suspected in connection with the terrorist 
     bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772 are turned 
     over to appropriate judicial authorities in the United States 
     or the United Kingdom and France as required by United 
     Nations Security Council resolutions;
       (3) calls upon the President to suspend all U.S. assistance 
     to all countries which violate United Nations Security 
     Council sanctions against Libya; and
       (4) requests that the Secretary of State transmit a copy of 
     this resolution to the government of each country which is a 
     member of the Arab League and express to each government the 
     profound concern of the United States about efforts to 
     undermine the international fight against terrorism by 
     weakening or violating sanctions imposed by the United 
     Nations Security Council.

     

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