Farrakhan Asserts Right to Libya Aid

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan Thursday proclaimed his right to accept aid from Libya--even though financial dealings with that country are banned--but did not confirm that he actually is receiving such money.

Farrakhan also declared his willingness at a 35-minute press conference here to register with the Justice Department as “an agent of God,” but not as a foreign agent representing Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi.

Farrakhan’s comments came as government officials said that letters from the Justice and Treasury departments had been hand-delivered Wednesday to a Farrakhan representative. The letters seek information to help determine whether Farrakhan’s recent trip to Libya violated the ban on financial dealings with that country and to notify him of his possible obligation to register as a foreign agent.

A Customs Service agent delivered the letters to Farrakhan’s Chicago headquarters after both departments failed in earlier attempts to obtain confirmation that Farrakhan had actually received the correspondence, a Justice Department official confirmed.

On his stop in Tripoli, Libya’s official news agency JANA reported that Farrakhan and Kadafi had discussed ways to increase the influence of minorities in the next U.S. election. JANA said that they agreed to “mobilize the oppressed minorities . . . to play a significant role in American political life” and “in American foreign policy.”

Some reports said that Kadafi pledged $1 billion to Farrakhan’s group, but after he left JANA denied that any donation was made. “I am not an agent of Libya or any foreign government,” Farrakhan said after confirming that he had received the letter from the Justice Department. “And there is no need for me to ever follow that law that I should register. I think that I can receive aid . . . for the rise of our people.

“I will not receive instructions from or guidance from any foreign government,” Farrakhan said. “My instructions and guidance come from Allah. That is the power that I am an agent of and if the government requests that I should register as an agent of God, then I shall.” Treasury officials would not discuss the letter to Farrakhan but sources familiar with the inquiry said that it sought an accounting of his Libyan trip and whether he and Kadafi had reached any agreement on the $1-billion assistance.