
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 30, 1993                   TAG: 9309300127
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAIRO, EGYPT                                LENGTH: Medium

LIBYA ASKS SUSPECTS TO SURRENDER

Libya agreed to a trial in Scotland for two Libyan agents accused of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103, but the suspects' lawyer said Wednesday no deal had been worked out for their surrender.

The Libyan lawyer for the men, Ibrahim Legwell, said the defense team won't meet until next week. That means Libya will miss Friday's deadline to surrender the two men or face an embargo on oil equipment purchases and a freeze on Libyan assets abroad.

The U.N. Security Council imposed an air and arms embargo and diplomatic sanctions on Libya in 1992 to pressure it to turn over the suspects, identified as intelligence agents Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah.

The United States and Britain want to try the men, who are charged with carrying out the December 1988 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. Friday's deadline was set by both countries.

Libya has refused to surrender the men, arguing it has no extradition treaty with Washington or London and a fair trial could not be guaranteed in either country. It has said that it would not object if the men gave themselves up voluntarily.

The official Libyan news agency JANA on Wednesday quoted a source at the Foreign Ministry as saying: "We do not object to their standing in front of Scottish justice, and we urge them to accept this."

The report, monitored in Cairo, said the West had provided "positive answers" to questions addressed by the lawyers to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

"We believe . . . that there is only one step left to solve this crisis," JANA quoted the unidentified official as saying. "It is for the two suspects, their families and their lawyers to be convinced with standing in front of Scottish justice."

U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, in New York for the new U.N. General Assembly session, said Washington has been working closely with London on the issue.

"We intend to proceed with our efforts to get tougher sanctions if they [the Libyans] do not return the two individuals who have been accused in this instance," he said.

". . . Since the sanctions that exist now have not been effective, we want to turn up the rheostat and increase the sanctions against them.

"I have confidence the United Nations will want to respond to that if the Libyans continue with their stubborn attitude."

by CNB