France repeats its threat to thwart Lockerbie deal

France is threatening to block a resolution that would lift UN sanctions against Libya until it gets a much bigger financial settlement for families of 170 people killed in a 1989 bombing of a French jet.

Those families shared US$33 million in a 1999 settlement with Libya, with relatives of each victim on the ill-fated UTA flight receiving about US$194,000. But last week, Libya agreed to pay US$2.7 billion to the families of the 270 victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jetliner, giving relatives of each victim between US$5 million and US$10 million.

"We are in favor of the lifting of sanctions on Libya, but at the same time we want fair treatment for the victims of the UTA flight," France's deputy UN ambassador Michel Duclos said late Monday.

"This principle of non-discrimination between the victims of terrorism is ... something very important for us," he added. "We are not prepared to make concessions."

The UN Security Council imposed sanctions in 1992 to force Muammar Qaddafi's government to surrender two men wanted in the bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.

A compensation deal was a key requirement for the lifting of sanctions, and Libya delivered a letter to the UN Security Council Friday meeting the others: it claimed responsibility for bombing the Pan Am jet; renounced terrorism; and pledged to cooperate in future investigations of the crash.

The US and Britain then declared in a joint letter to the council that Libya had met the conditions for the lifting of sanctions, and Britain introduced a resolution late Monday that would immediately end the ban on arms sales and air links. The sanctions were indefinitely suspended in 1999 after the two Libyans were handed over for trial.

Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said council ambassadors would discuss the resolution today and called for an early vote: "This has been a long, painful, protracted negotiation, especially for the families," he said.

British diplomats predicted a vote by Friday.

But Duclos said, "We will not accept a resolution if there is no settlement."

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Cecile Posso di Borgo said Monday a new round of talks between Libya and families of the UTA victims had made important progress.

"I hope very much that a fair agreement with the Libyans will be reached fairly quickly," Duclos said. If not, "I think there will be agreement among all members of the council that in this case the vote on the resolution should be postponed."

Neither Posso di Borgo nor Duclos openly threatened to use France's veto if the resolution was put to a vote without getting a better deal for the UTA victims. But council diplomats said Duclos made clear at Monday's closed council meeting that under such circumstances, France would oppose the resolution.