Flight 103 Bombing Trial Negotiations at Key Juncture

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council on Friday that he is “still reasonably optimistic” that Libya will hand over two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

“We are now at a critical and delicate state, and I hope we will not have much to go,” Annan said as council members, most notably the United States and Britain, expressed frustration at the pace of progress in a plan to turn over the two men for trial in the Netherlands.

“We would like to bring this to closure in 30 days,” said Peter Burleigh, the U.S. representative to the United Nations.

“Now is the moment of truth for Libya. They have gotten the position clarified. Now is the time to move,” British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said. “We want a response as soon as possible, but in any way within a month from now.”

Both nations held out the possibility of pressing in the Security Council for a formal deadline. The penalty if Libya refused would be withdrawal of an offer for a trial in the Netherlands and the suspension of 7-year-old sanctions if the alleged bombers are turned over.

Annan sent a letter to Libya on Thursday containing final clarifications requested by Tripoli. Libya’s U.N. ambassador, Abuzed Omar Dorda, confirmed that it had been received.

However, Dorda appeared to show none of the urgency of his U.S. and British counterparts.

“Libya will study it carefully from the legal and from the political point of view,” he said, “and we will reply to the secretary-general whenever we finish these studies.”

Dorda said sanctions should be lifted upon any hand-over--not merely suspended.

The bombing of the jetliner killed 270 people, including 11 on the ground, near Lockerbie, Scotland.

Britain and the United States have proposed that the suspects be tried under Scottish law in the Netherlands. Under the proposal, the two would be imprisoned in Scotland if found guilty.

Current sanctions against Libya include an air and arms embargo, a worldwide freeze on assets and diplomatic restrictions. Some diplomats said it could be an uphill fight to muster enough support in the Security Council for additional sanctions if the stalemate continues.