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Gold/Mining/Energy : Lundin Oil (LOILY, LOILB Sweden) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tomas who wrote (900)	1/8/1999 8:37:00 PM
From: Tomas	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2742

Libya: Mandela move for Lockerbie deal The Guardian/The Observer, December 8 Reports by Ewen MacAskill in Pretoria South African leader marks Prime Minister's visit with initiative to secure trial of bomb suspects. Hopes of an end to the deadlock over the Lockerbie bombing trial were raised yesterday when President Nelson Mandela launched a diplomatic initiative aimed at getting Libya to hand over the two main suspects. Mr Mandela, who expressed optimism that the outstanding issues could be resolved, has arranged for a two-man delegation to go to Libya to meet Colonel Muammar Gadafy over the next few days. The development emerged after Tony Blair met Mr Mandela on the second day of his visit to South Africa. The two Libyans are wanted in connection with the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which crashed on Lockerbie 10 years ago, killing 270 people. The delegation, made up of Prince Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador to the United tates, and Jakes Gerwell, Mr Mandela's chief of staff, has been given special permission to travel to Libya by the United Nations sanctions committee, which normally bars such flights to the north African state. Mr Mandela, one of the few world leaders with influence over the Libyan leader and who has been acting as a go between, said: "We have made good progress and we think we are on the way to resolving all the outstanding issues." But a Downing Street spokesman was more cautious. While acknowledging progress had been made, he said: "It still does not mean that when they [the delegation] come back, they will have the two suspects on the plane." British caution may reflect Downing Street's desire not to be seen to be giving any further ground to Col Gadafy, though there is scope for movement on the terms of imprisonment should the two be found guilty, such as rights to visits, diet and other issues. Both the South African and British governments were coy about the details of the negotiations, which suggest there is more in the background than has been revealed at present. Asked if Col Gadafy had intimated he was ready to comply, the Downing Street spokesman refused to comment. Britain and the US want the two Libyans, identified by Western intelligence sources as being involved in the bombing, to stand trial in Scotland but Col Gadafy blocked that, claiming they would not receive a fair trial. A compromise has been on the table since last year under which the two would stand trial in a third country but under Scottish law. Mr Blair said yesterday: "We have made a lot of progress on an issue that people thought was intractable. We will carry on doing everything we can. We have come a long way." Relatives of the dead are keen to see the trial go ahead in the hope it will throw light on what happened, even if the two do not in the end get sent to jail. ___________________________________________ BBC: "Mandela said the two suspects would leave "within days". Envoys' Lockerbie trial mission. See: news.bbc.co.uk ____________________________________________ Mandela aide on mission to Libya The Independent, December 8 By Colin Brown, in Pretoria Hopes of a breakthrough in the negotiations to bring the two Libyan suspects to trial for the Lockerbie bombing were raised yesterday by Tony Blair and President Nelson Mandela in South Africa. President Mandela, who interceded on the issue with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, announced he is sending his chief of staff, Jakes Gerwel, on a special flight to Libya within 48 hours to seal a deal over the trial with the Libyan leader. The United Nations Security Council is expected to give special permission for UN sanctions against Libya to be temporarily lifted to allow the direct flight to Tripoli to go ahead. Mr Gerwel, who is Mr Mandela's under-secretary at the South African foreign office, and the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, are flying to Tripoli to try to secure agreement from Colonel Gaddafi for the trial to take place in The Hague. Although there have been false dawns over the trial, the South African President and the Prime Minister signalled that it may now go ahead. "We have made good progress," said President Mandela at a joint press conference with Mr Blair outside his state mansion in Pretoria. The Libyan leader was close to agreement on a trial in The Hague last month, after Britain and the United States conceded his demand for it to be held in a third country, but under Scottish law, with Scottish judges. Colonel Gaddafi objected to the two Libyan suspects having to serve any sentences in a Scottish prison. He threw in another obstacle by insisting on an international panel of judges, including a Libyan. The Libyan leader was put under renewed pressure to back down by next month with the threat of further UN sanctions. It was not clear last night what concessions had been made, but British ministers have made clear they would not compromise over holding the trial under Scottish law, and for sentences to be served in Scotland. Lifting sanctions against Libya would bring economic benefits to the country, which has always denied its involvement in bringing down Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie 10 years ago, with the loss of 270 lives. Mr Blair said: "We have made a lot of progress on an issue which people thought was completely intractable." The Prime Minister had urged Mr Mandela to use his personal influence with Colonel Gaddafi to find a way through the impasse and had been hoping that his visit to South Africa would herald a breakthrough.