Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, following up on a promise to end his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, has shipped some 27,500kg of nuclear and missile components to the US in a bid to break out of diplomatic isolation.
Bush administration officials indicated Qaddafi could expect some easing of economic pressure in return if he continued on a cooperative track.
But one official said that Libya had not proved that it no longer supported terrorism.
As a result, the State Department is not ready to cancel Libya's designation as a terror sponsor, the official said on condition of anonymity. Therefore, at least some economic sanctions will remain in place.
An US transport plane carrying the components arrived on Tuesday at an airport outside Knoxville, Tennessee, with the equipment. It included stock to enrich uranium, centrifuge parts and guidance sets for long-range missiles, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
The equipment will probably undergo evaluation at the Oak Ridge nuclear-weapons plant in Tennessee, the major storehouse in the US for highly enriched bomb-grade uranium.
The "most sensitive documentation" associated with Libya's nuclear program arrived by plane last week, McClellan said.
Also, the spokesman announced that Libya had begun destroying chemical munitions.
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander labeled the shipment "a critical first step in securing nuclear materials and equipment to make sure they don't end up in the hands of terrorists."
Qaddafi, seeking a lifting of US economic sanctions, promised on Dec. 19 to end development of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction.
"The world can see that Colonel Qaddafi is keeping his commitment," McClellan said.
However, the White House gave no indication it was ready to ease the US economic squeeze on Libya, nor did the State Department say Libya's designation as a supporter of terrorism would be canceled.
"As they take these essential steps and demonstrate its seriousness, its good faith will be returned and Libya can regain a secure and respected place among the nations," McClellan said.
He said that the shipments were "only the beginning of the elimination of Libya's weapons."
Representative Tom Lantos, the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, met on Monday in Tripoli with Qaddafi for 90 minutes and reported that the Libyan leader intended to follow through on his pledge.
Lantos said he would urge Representative Henry Hyde, the committee chairman, to join him in a bipartisan appeal to the Bush administration to show "good faith" in Qaddafi by ending a ban on travel to Libya.
Qaddafi's turnabout, promoted by Britain with US support, is being cited by the White House as a triumph in the campaign to halt the spread of nuclear technology.
After Qaddafi's pledge to abandon his quest for weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "The next step is to make sure we have a clear understanding of what Libya possesses."
Powell said the administration intended to pursue aggressively reports that Libya obtained much of its nuclear technology from Pakistan.
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