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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 March 1999 Issue No. 422 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 March 1999 Issue No. 422
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Punishing the innocent
Libya's decision to hand over the two Lockerbie suspects for trial in the Netherlands on 6 April is a courageous one, coming after seven long and difficult years of UN sanctions and skilful Libyan manoeuvring.Since the UN imposed an air and arms embargo on Tripoli in April 1992, Libya rightfully argued that it could not hand over two of its citizens to the US or Britain because there were no extradition treaties with the two Western countries.
Libyan lawyers also fought a challenging case to prove that the International Court of Justice is fully entitled to look into the dispute over which country had the right to try the suspects, against America's insistence that the Security Council is the only body entitled to deal with the dispute.
Washington, since the end of the Cold War, has abused the UN Security Council in every way possible to serve its own political interests. In the cases of Lockerbie, Iraq, Sudan, and, of course, the Palestinian cause, the United States acted unilaterally according to the dictates of its arrogance.
In February of last year, the ICJ ruled in Libya's favour and determined that it did indeed have the jurisdiction to look into the case. Meanwhile, pressure from Arab and African countries mounted on Washington to reexamine its unjustified insistence that it be prosecutor, judge and jury.
Libya insists that it was not involved in the tragic Lockerbie bombing. But even if the Scottish judges trying the two suspects in the Netherlands prove otherwise, there will be no justification for reimposing sanctions on Libya. A population of nearly five million cannot pay the price for the alleged crime of two of their nationals, nor, for that matter, for the policies of their regime.
The whole concept of sanctions against nations which have no means with which to confront the world's sole superpower should be reconsidered, if not abolished once and for all. By imposing ever more sanctions, the US is creating ever more enemies.
This was probably the message that South Africa's wise leader, freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, made clear to Washington in his successful and appreciated mediation effort, made in cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
