Senate urges Bush to demand Libya payment

[ProSense]

Senate urges Bush to demand Libya payment

Thu Jun 8, 11:14 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate unanimously urged President George W. Bush to hold off restoring diplomatic relations with Libya unless it continues to make restitution to families of those killed in a flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, nearly 18 years ago.

The Senate approved a nonbinding resolution late on Wednesday saying Bush should not accept credentials of Libyan representatives "without the expressed understanding" that Libya would "continue to work in good faith" to resolve outstanding cases of U.S. "victims of terrorism sponsored or supported by Libya."

The resolution specified the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people including 189 Americans, and the 1986 bombing of the LaBelle Discotheque in Berlin that killed two U.S. servicemen and a Turkish woman and injured 229.

"The Senate spoke with one voice and called on the Bush administration not to establish diplomatic relations with Libya until (Libyan President Muammar) Gaddafi keeps his promise to the families," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (news, bio, voting record), a New Jersey Democrat who pushed the measure.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060608/pl_nm/libya_congress_usa_dc_1