RI promises to help Libya on sanctions<\/p>\n
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia pledged yesterday to use its influence
\nas a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
\nto help remove UN sanctions imposed on Libya.<\/p>\n
Libya is accused of harboring the suspects responsible for the
\n1988 Pan Am bombing in Lockerbie, Scotland.<\/p>\n
After a meeting with his Libyan counterpart, Omar M.
\nMuntasser, Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas
\nstated that Jakarta would strive to convince fellow members of
\nthe Security Council to re-evaluate their position when the
\nsanctions come up for review in the next few months.<\/p>\n
\"We will urge the Security Council to review the matter,\"
\nAlatas said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Two Libyans have been accused by the United States and Britain
\nof the downing of a Pan Am jet which killed 270 passengers,
\nthough Libya has vehemently denied any involvement.<\/p>\n
However, Libya has since agreed, under a compromise proposal
\nby the Arab League, to extradite the two suspects to the UN's
\nInternational Court of Justice, or a neutral third country, for
\ntrial under Scottish law.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately the U.S., Britain and France continue to reject
\nthis compromise,\" remarked Alatas, frustrated with the insistence
\nof the three countries to prosecute the suspects in either
\nScotland or the U.S.<\/p>\n
\"We argue that Libya's willingness to prosecute the suspects
\nin a third country is an important factor in reviewing the whole
\nmatter and will of course try to convince the other members to
\naccept this compromise as a way out,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Muntasser himself argued that recent evidence casts further
\ndoubt on Libya's involvement in the bombing.<\/p>\n
British and Scottish newspapers reported last month that U.S.
\nAir Force intelligence documents pointed to the involvement of an
\nIranian who bankrolled the radical Abu Nidal group to carry out
\nthe attack.<\/p>\n
\"These all raise doubts which should induce the Security
\nCouncil to review the whole issue versus Libya. All of the
\nsanctions should be abolished until a thorough investigation is
\ncarried-out to find out the truth,\" Muntasser said.<\/p>\n
Alatas noted that as chair of the 111-nation Non-Aligned
\nMovement (NAM) Indonesia would have the support of fellow NAM
\nmembers in the Security Council.<\/p>\n
Known as the NAM Caucus, they include Botswana, Nigeria, Oman
\nand Rwanda.<\/p>\n
When asked to comment on Indonesia's strong support for Libya,
\nMuntasser remarked that \"Indonesia is always supporting whatever
\nis right and our position has always been right.\"<\/p>\n
\"The whole world knows that there is plenty of doubt in the
\naccusations,\" Muntasser said while calling for an unbiased body
\nto investigate those truly responsible for the bombing.<\/p>\n
\"We're sure we're not involved in it, somebody else is,\" he
\nremarked without pointing fingers.<\/p>\n
Before returning home, Muntasser will meet with President
\nSoeharto today and is expected to discuss the matter at length
\nwith the NAM chairman.<\/p>",
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