$2.7bn Lockerbie compensation deal (so that Libya oil will flow)

[papau]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/08/13/lockerbie/index.html

$2.7bn Lockerbie compensation deal

WASHINGTON (CNN) --Lawyers for Libya and for families of the victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing have decided on the framework for $2.7 billion in compensation, a step which could lead to the end of sanctions on Libya, a lawyer representing family members has told CNN.<snip>

The payouts may begin when United Nations sanctions on Libya are removed.In order to reach that step, Libya must send a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council accepting responsibility for the bombing -- an event that could happen as early as Thursday.<snip>

One diplomat said any full lifting of sanctions would help Libya's case in getting the United States' separate sanctions lifted.U.S. State Department officials have said that while acceptance of responsibility for the bombing is a critical step toward lifting the U.S. sanctions, the Libyan government still had several conditions to meet before it could be removed from the department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.


(COMMENT: years of pressure by big oil on Clinton to settle so that big oil could reclaim their Libyian assets and start making money did not work - but with Bush things have worked out - and as story did not say but should have - the money for the settlement will come not from Omar - but from "private company contributions")