[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 50 (Friday, April 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3767-S3768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO INVOLVEMENT OF THE 
                GOVERNMENT OF LIBYA IN TERRORIST BOMBING

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 29, S. Con. Res. 23.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 23) expressing the 
     sense of Congress with respect to the involvement of the 
     Government of Libya in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 
     103, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I rise to support this resolution 
condemning Libya for its involvement with the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie 
bombing and reiterating conditions under which sanctions will be 
lifted.
  The conviction of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi by the Scottish court in 
the Netherlands for the December 21, 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am 
Flight 103 is a victory for the families of the 270 victims, who have 
been seeking justice for more than 12 years, a victory for our country, 
which was the real target of the terrorist attack, and a victory for 
the world community in the ongoing battle against international 
terrorism.
  Now that a Scottish court has concluded that Libya was responsible 
for the bombing, the hand of the United States has been strengthened in 
our effort to convince the international community that it is premature 
to welcome Libya back into the family of nations. The task will not be 
easy. Oil companies want to invest in the Libyan petroleum sector, and 
even many of our closest allies are anxious to close the book on the 
bombing.
  Following the verdict, President George Bush wisely stated that the 
United States will continue to press Libya to accept responsibility and 
compensate the families. We must demand full disclosure of what Libya 
knows. The United States must make it clear that we will use our veto 
in the UN Security Council to block any effort to permanently lift 
sanctions before Libya accepts responsibility for the actions of its 
intelligence officer, provides appropriate compensation to the 
families, accounts for its involvement in the bombing, and fully 
renounces terrorism. These are the conditions demanded by the 
international community--not just the United States--and they must be 
enforced before the sanctions are lifted. We must also be prepared to 
impose stronger sanctions if Qadhafi refuses to cooperate. This 
resolution makes clear that this should be American policy.
  U.S. sanctions against Libya which prevent trade and investment and 
bar the import of Libyan oil must also remain in place. Although there 
is strong interest by the U.S. oil industry in investing in Libya, the 
Administration must make clear that profits cannot take priority over 
justice.
  It is vital to the ongoing battle against international terrorism 
that all those responsible for this horrible act are brought to 
justice.
  I am pleased to work with Senator Feinstein on this resolution, and I 
urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the 
resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 23) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 23

       Whereas 270 people, including 189 Americans, were killed in 
     the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, 
     Scotland, on December 21, 1988;
       Whereas, on January 31, 2001, the 3 judges of the Scottish 
     court meeting in the Netherlands to try the 2 Libyan suspects 
     in the bombing of Pan Am 103 found that ``the conception, 
     planning, and execution of the plot which led to the planting 
     of the explosive device was of Libyan origin'';
       Whereas the Court found conclusively that Abdel Basset al 
     Megrahi ``caused an explosive device to detonate on board Pan 
     Am 103'' and sentenced him to a life term in prison;
       Whereas the Court accepted the evidence that Abdel Basset 
     al Megrahi was a member of the Jamahiriyah Security 
     Organization, one of the main Libyan intelligence services;
       Whereas the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 
     731, 748, 883, and 1192 demanded that the Government of Libya 
     provide appropriate compensation to the families of the 
     victims, accept responsibility for the actions of Libyan 
     officials in the bombing of Pan Am 103, provide a full 
     accounting of its involvement in this terrorist act, and 
     cease all support for terrorism; and
       Whereas, contrary to previous declarations by the 
     Government of Libya and its representatives, in the wake of 
     the conviction of Abdel Basset al Megrahi, Colonel Muammar 
     Qadhafi refuses to accept the judgment of the Scottish court 
     or to comply with the requirements of the Security Council 
     under existing resolutions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

[[Page S3768]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This concurrent resolution may be cited as the ``Justice 
     for the Victims of Pan Am 103 Resolution of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the entire international community should condemn, in 
     the strongest possible terms, the Government of Libya and its 
     leader, Colonel Muammar Qadhafi, for support of international 
     terrorism, including the bombing of Pan Am 103;
       (2) the Government of Libya should immediately--
       (A) make a full and complete accounting of its involvement 
     in the bombing of Pan Am 103;
       (B) accept responsibility for the actions of Libyan 
     officials;
       (C) provide appropriate compensation to the families of the 
     victims of Pan Am 103; and
       (D) demonstrate in word and deed a full renunciation of 
     support for international terrorism;
       (3) the President should instruct the United States 
     Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use the 
     voice, and, if necessary, the vote of the United States, to 
     maintain United Nations sanctions against Libya until all 
     conditions laid out or referred to in the applicable Security 
     Council resolutions are met; and
       (4) the President should instruct the United States 
     Permanent Representative to the United Nations to seek the 
     reimposition of sanctions against Libya currently suspended 
     in the event that Libya fails to comply with those United 
     Nations Security Council resolutions.

     SEC. 3. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TOWARD LIBYA.

       It should be the policy of the United States to--
       (1) oppose the removal of United Nations sanctions until 
     the Government of Libya has--
       (A) made a full and complete accounting of its involvement 
     in the bombing of Pan Am 103;
       (B) accepted responsibility for the actions of Libyan 
     officials;
       (C) provided appropriate compensation to the families of 
     the victims of Pan Am 103; and
       (D) demonstrated in word and deed a full renunciation of 
     support for international terrorism; and
       (2) maintain United States sanctions on Libya, including 
     those sanctions on all forms of assistance and all other 
     United States restrictions on trade and travel to Libya, 
     until--
       (A) the Government of Libya has fulfilled the requirements 
     of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 731, 748, 883, 
     and 1192;
       (B) the President--
       (i) certifies under section 620A(c) of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371(c)) that Libya no 
     longer provides support for international terrorism; and
       (ii) has provided to Congress an explanation of the steps 
     taken by the Government of Libya to resolve any outstanding 
     claims against that government by United States persons 
     relating to international terrorism; and
       (C) the Government of Libya is not pursuing weapons of mass 
     destruction or the means to deliver them in contravention of 
     United States law.

     SEC. 4. TRANSMITTAL OF CONCURRENT RESOLUTION.

       The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
     concurrent resolution to the President.

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