WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States has
begun receiving money from Libya compensating the families of American victims
of Libyan-linked terror attacks in the 1980s, a senior U.S. official said
Thursday.
"We have received a substantial amount of money in a
U.S. account toward compensating the U.S. victims and families with
terrorism-related claims against Libya," said the official who asked not to be
identified.
The anonymous official declined to say how much money
Libya had been deposited in American victim account. But he said that Libya's
action demonstrated Tripoli's willingness to resolve outstanding claims,
particularly over the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the
1986 bombing of a German disco.
On Aug. 14, the United States and Libya signed in
Tripoli a compensation agreement for American victims of Libyan attacks and U.S.
reprisals.
The agreement calls for the creation of a 1.8 billion
U.S. dollars fund: 1.5 billion dollars for American victims and 300 million
dollars to Libyan victims of U.S. airstrikes ordered in retaliation for the
disco bombing, according to David Welch, the assistant secretary of state for
Near Eastern Affairs.
Libya agreed to compensate families of the victims of
the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270
people, and a Berlin disco bombing that killed two Americans.
Despite "substantial amount" deposited into a U.S.
bank account, Libya has not paid full amount of money needed to fulfill a
compensation agreement reached earlier this year, the official said.
Egypt, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Libya and the United States
agreed on Thursday a comprehensive deal that Tripoli would compensate U.S. and
Libyan victims in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, said reports
reaching here from Tripoli.
The deal was signed by visiting U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State David Welch, top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, and
Libya's Foreign Ministry official Ahmed al-Fatouri. Full story
