Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has agreed not to pitch his tent in a New York suburb during an upcoming UN visit after heated opposition from the community, US officials said on Friday.
Englewood, New Jersey, a town of some 30,000 people across the Hudson River, is home to dozens of families who lost loved ones in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, whose sole convicted culprit was welcomed home by Qaddafi last week.
“In keeping with prior arrangements, the Englewood, New Jersey, property is not available for any use in connection with the upcoming visit,” US State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.
Lawmaker Steve Rothman, who represents the area in the US Congress, said he was “very pleased that Muammar Qaddafi will apparently not be coming to Englewood.”
The Libyan leader’s “appearance would have presented unnecessary safety and security issues for the residents of Englewood and the Libyan diplomats,” he said.
Rothman thanked US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying the administration had worked to address the community’s concerns.
But he also voiced gratitude to the Libyan government for its “consideration in resolving this matter in such a positive fashion.”
The State Department had hinted earlier that Qaddafi agreed not to pitch the tent in Englewood, where the Libyan ambassador to the UN maintains a residence.
And State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley had voiced confidence that the Libyans “will have suitable accommodations and that they will respect the earnest wishes of the people of the region.”
Qaddafi is heading to New York for next month’s opening of the UN General Assembly, where Libya will preside, marking the first time in his 40 years in power that he has come to the annual event.
The trip comes after a Scottish court last week released the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds, angering many of the families of the 270 people killed when the Pan Am jetliner blew up over the Scottish town.
The Libyan leader, saying he wants to stay true to his Bedouin roots, camps in a tent when he travels, setting up his sleeping quarters everywhere from Rome’s main park to a garden across from the Elysee Palace in Paris.
Under an accord with the UN, the US allows in all world leaders heading to the world body, but restricts the movement of some to the New York area.
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