U.S. Rejects Libya’s Call for Trial Negotiations

The United States on Friday rejected a Libyan call for negotiations on the procedures for a trial in the Netherlands of two suspects in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, ordering the government in Tripoli to turn them over immediately.

Libya has agreed in principle that the men can stand trial in the Netherlands in a special court applying Scottish law, but it says it is not bound by an agreement between the British and Dutch governments on arrangements for the trial.

Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi said during an interview Thursday that Libya wanted guarantees there would be no “tricks.”

But on Thursday evening, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution giving the U.S.-British proposal the force of international law, leaving Libya little room for maneuvering.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Barry Toiv said the United States had no intention of negotiating on the trial, in which the two Libyan men would face charges of blowing up a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.

“The Security Council last night unanimously endorsed the proposal,” he said. “It should leave no doubt that the only choice for Libya is going to be immediate compliance.”

State Department spokesman James Foley said: “The ball is now in Libya’s court to live up to its pledge.

“Failure by Libya to act promptly to ensure the appearance of the defendants for trial will be a monumental breach of faith which would compel the Security Council to consider further measures,” he added.

“Col. Kadafi used words such as guarantees . . . which are a little disturbing because, if they presage some attempt to open up the bazaar to negotiate in any way, then that’s tantamount to rejection of the offer,” he said.

The United States has threatened to try to add Libyan oil sales to the U.N. sanctions on Tripoli if it does not hand the men over. The current sanctions, imposed in 1992, ban arms sales to Libya and flights into and out of the country.

Washington argues that the idea of trying the suspects in the Netherlands was a Libyan proposal anyway, so there should be no problem going ahead with it.