[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
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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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