The United States has begun receiving money from Libya compensating the families of American victims of Libyan-linked terror attacks in the 1980s, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.
"We have received a substantial amount of money in a U.S. account toward compensating the U.S. victims and families with terrorism-related claims against Libya," said the official who asked not to be identified.
The anonymous official declined to say how much money Libya had been deposited in American victim account. But he said that Libya's action demonstrated Tripoli's willingness to resolve outstanding claims, particularly over the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the 1986 bombing of a German disco.
On Aug. 14, the United States and Libya signed in Tripoli a compensation agreement for American victims of Libyan attacks and U.S. reprisals.
The agreement calls for the creation of a 1.8 billion U.S. dollars fund: 1.5 billion dollars for American victims and 300 million dollars to Libyan victims of U.S. airstrikes ordered in retaliation for the disco bombing, according to David Welch, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.
Libya agreed to compensate families of the victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, and a Berlin disco bombing that killed two Americans.
Despite "substantial amount" deposited into a U.S. bank account, Libya has not paid full amount of money needed to fulfill a compensation agreement reached earlier this year, the official said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2008)
