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AROUND THE WORLD 1: Spanish Leader in Libya

The prime minister of Spain, Mr. Jose Maria Aznar, is making an important trip to Libya. Mr. Aznar is the first leader from either Europe or North America to make a trip to Libya in many years. Aznar's trip and his meeting with Libya's leader Moammar Gaddafi may mark the beginning of a new relationship between the two countries and perhaps also between Libya and the United States.

Mr. Aznar's primary reason for going to Libya is to establish business contacts so that Spanish companies can begin to work in Libya and open trade relationships. It is only recently that foreign investment in Libya has been made possible.

For more than a decade, Libya has been subject to United Nations sanctions. The United Nations voted to impose sanctions on Libya that would severely limit or cut off imports and exports between Libya and other countries. The main reason for these sanctions was Libya's involvement in several bombings, especially the airplane Pan Am flight 103 in 1988. Libya refused to take responsibility for the bombings and would not turn in the Libyan men who were suspected of the attacks.

The sanctions were meant to put major financial pressure on Libya, and they did. Over the past several weeks, Libya has been working out agreements to compensate the victims of it's attacks. It has also openly criticized terrorism and pledged some support in preventing terrorism in the future. In exchange for this, the United Nations voted last week to lift the sanctions.

Jose Maria Aznar's trip to Spain symbolizes a new relationship between Libya and the world, after the lifting of Sanctions. It may also symbolize a new relationship for Libya and the U.S. Spain has been an important partner of the United States in the War on Terrorism and in dealing with Iraq. If Spain is now going to Libya--a government that has committed terrorist acts in the past--it indicates that the United States is willing to give Libya another chance.

Many people now hope that Libya's emergence from isolation will send a strong message to other nations that it is in their interest to fight terrorism. Furthermore, allowing Libya back into the international community may bring much needed relief to the Libyan people, who have been largely cut off from the world for years along with their government.

--Written by Betsy Mesard

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