SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Good morning. As the President said last week,
we are engaged in a long-term 

    struggle against terrorism in which we will use
every means, including diplomatic, economic and force where

    necessary, to hold terrorists accountable and to
protect American lives.

    Last week, we used armed force to protect Americans
from continuing terrorist attacks. The President announced a

    freeze on the financial assets of a terrorist network.
Our law enforcement investigation of the African embassy

    bombings continues. And today, I’m announcing another
effort to bring terrorists to justice.

    It has been a decade since Pan Am flight 103 exploded
over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people aboard and

    11 others on the ground. From the outset, America’s
goal and that of the United Kingdom has been to apprehend and

    bring before the bar of justice those responsible
for this cowardly act of mass murder.

    A lengthy and exhaustive investigation by British
and US law enforcement officials developed compelling evidence

    implicating a senior Libyan intelligence official
and the former manager of the Libyan Arab Airlines office in

    Malta. Both were agents of the Libyan Government;
both were indicted in US and UK courts for their parts in the

    crime.

    Since those indictments, the UN Security Council
has repeatedly directed that the Libyan Government turn over the

    two suspects for trial before a US or Scottish court.
The Council agreed to impose sanctions until Libya complies.

    Those sanctions have been regularly reviewed and
reaffirmed.

    Unfortunately, year after year has passed without
resolution. The sanctions have not altered Libyan intransigence.

    The families of the victims have become increasingly
and understandably frustrated. The cause of justice was not

    being served.

    Accordingly, the United States and the United Kingdom
began exploring whether it might be possible for a Scottish

    court to hold a trial presided over by Scottish
judges outside Scotland. This step is fully consistent with UN

    Security Council resolutions, and has been suggested
to us as a way to call the Libyan Government’s bluff and to

    bring the fugitives into court at long last.

    After consultations with The Netherlands, we have
concluded that such a trial is, indeed, possible. Accordingly,

    we have decided to go forward with a trial of the
two suspects before a Scottish court with Scottish judges

    applying Scottish law. We thank The Netherlands
Government for indicating its willingness to host this proceeding.

    We note that Libya has repeatedly stated its readiness
to deliver the suspects for trial by a Scottish court sitting in a

    third country. This approach has been endorsed by
the Arab League, the Organization of African Unity, the

    Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned
Movement. We now challenge Libya to turn promises

    into deeds. The suspects should be surrendered for
trial promptly. We call upon the members of organizations that

    have endorsed this approach to urge Libya to end
its ten years of evasion now.

    Let me be clear -- the plan the US and the UK are
putting forward is a "take-it-or-leave-it" proposition. It is not

    subject to negotiation or change, nor should it
be subject to additional foot-dragging or delay. We are ready to

    begin such a trial as soon as Libya turns over the
suspects. We expect -- and the families deserve -- and immediate

    answer.

    In closing, I want to add a personal note. For years
now, as US Ambassador to the United Nations and as Secretary

    of State, I have been in contact with many of the
families of those murdered on Pan Am 103. I was in touch with

    them again this morning. As may be expected, these
families don’t all agree on the proper strategy for achieving

    accountability in this case. But they all agree
on that goal, for they all share the anguish of having lost a loved one

    to terror. And they all agree that the delay in
bringing the suspects to trial have gone on for far too long.

    In dealing with a tragedy as profound and gut-wrenching
as this one, we cannot speak of achieving true justice in

    the human sense. For true justice implies a balancing
of the scales; and there is no action or force or thing on Earth

    that can balance the loss of a husband, a daughter,
son, parent or wife. But we can and do demand accountability.

    One way or another, terrorists must answer for their
crimes.

    As the events of recent days illustrate, America
is determined to see that the perpetrators of terrorism past are

    brought to account; to respond swiftly and firmly
to present acts of terror; and to deter and prevent such crimes in

    the future. We owe that to the families of Pan Am
103, to other victims of terror, to all Americans and to decent and

    law-abiding people everywhere.

    Thank you.