Panafrican News Agency Mandela Accuses West Of Shifting Goal Posts February 2, 2001 Posted to the web February 2, 2001 Di Caelers Cape Town Nelson Mandela accused Western governments of "shifting the goalposts" by failing to honour a deal that sanctions against Libya would be lifted with the handing over for trial of the two Lockerbie bomb suspects. Speaking to journalists at the University of Cape Town late yesterday, Mandela, who played a crucial role in negotiating the handing-over, said one of the guarantees offered to Libya in return was that sanctions would be lifted, not suspended. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted on Wednesday of the murder of 270 people in the 1988 bombing of a passenger jet over Lockerbie in Scotland. His co-accused was acquitted. The United States operates sanctions against Libya, but UN sanctions have been suspended. Mandela said yesterday he intended speaking to President George Bush in a bid to have all sanctions against Libya lifted. "I hope the West will honour its undertaking there is already a feeling the west is shifting the goalposts," Mandela said. When heads of state made international agreements, their successors were expected to honour them. "Once they are dishonoured, you are introducing chaos in international affairs." Mandela said he trusted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi "without reservation" and it was "totally unacceptable" that the West continued its "vicious campaign" against him. "We expect the West to lead in moral responsibility, not to shift the goalposts," he said. He wanted to discuss the issue with Bush as well as British Prime Minister Tony Blair who, he said, had been "very good in helping me to get a settlement". He hoped Bush would act like his father, who was "a man of integrity". Mandela said he had spoken to Gaddafi on Wednesday, but would not reveal details. He planned to meet the Libyan ambassador to South Africa last night. **** Libya News and Views Saturday, 3 February, 2001: The Libyan who was acquitted in the Lockerbie bombing said Friday that he and his co-defendant were subjected to abnormal pressure during the proceedings. Lamen Fhimah did not detail the claim made in an interview on Abu Dhabi Television, but said he would explain it later. He described his experiences at the special Scottish court in the Netherlands as ``not normal.'' Fhimah's co-defendant, Abdel-Basset al-Megrahi, was convicted Wednesday of planting the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Fhimah said al-Megrahi will be proven innocent in the coming days. ``He will be able to appeal because what was presented during the trial contained no evidence. They were only suspicions and lies by the American intelligence agency,'' he said. [AP] Saturday, 3 February, 2001: Libyan mosque preachers and government-controlled newspapers on Friday dismissed the Lockerbie bombing verdict as a political decision orchestrated by the United States and Britain. ``The verdict was a political decision taken under the pressure of the big powers, the United States of America and Great Britain,'' imam Ahmed al-Balazi told hundreds of worshippers at Moulay Mohammed mosque in central Tripoli. ``The Lockerbie verdict is a political verdict in line with the wishes of America and Britain,'' echoed Al-Fajr al-Jadid daily newspaper. At Moulay Mohammed mosque, imam Balazi said ``We ask God to give us justice,'' echoing widespread disappointment among ordinary Libyans about the verdict pronounced in the Netherlands. For Ali Hattab, a 30-year-old teacher, the verdict was dictated by the United States to punish Libya for closing down American military bases in the 1960s. [Reuters] Saturday, 3 February, 2001: Salim Ahmed Salim, secretary general of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), has appealed to the United Nations Security Council to immediately lift the sanctions against Libya. Salim made the call on Thursday following the outcome of the trial of the two Libyan nationals in the Lockerbie case, said an OAU press release. He expressed the hope that this would open a new era of normal relations and cooperation between Libya and the world community. The OAU called for a peaceful and just solution to the crisis between Libya, the United States and Britain based on international law, the OAU chief said. [Xinhua] _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
