Transcripts from CNN

Special Event

Moammar Gadhafi Discusses PAN AM Compromise

Aired August 27, 1998 - 2:30 p.m. ET

This is a copy from transcript, provided by CNN. To purchase video-copies of this transcript, call 800-CNN-NEWS. Other transcripts from CNN regarding Lockerbie, on THIS PAGE.

Special Event

Moammar Gadhafi Discusses PAN AM Compromise

Aired August 27, 1998 - 2:30 p.m. ET

JIM CLANCY, CNNI ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Jim Clancy at the CNN Center. To our viewers in the United States and all around the world, on CNN International and CNN Espanol, welcome to this special presentation. And it is special because we are pleased to be bringing you an interview with Libya's leader, Moammar Gadhafi.

Today, at a crucial moment in his country's relations with the outside world, Colonel Gadhafi joins us from the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Earlier this week, the United States and Britain proposed that two Libyans wanted for trial in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988 should be tried in the Hague.

Libya had always insisted that the trial could only be held outside Britain or the United States in the interests of fairness. London and Washington have proposed that a panel of Scottish judges conduct the trial.

Two hundred and seventy people were killed when the plane crashed near Lockerbie, Scotland. In return for Libya's agreement to the plan, Britain and the United States would put forward a UN resolution suspending sanctions against Libya.

Colonel Gadhafi, welcome. Salam 'Alaikum.

GADHAFI: Wa 'Alaikum Salam.

CLANCY: I think the question of the day and the place that we have to begin, the question on many people's minds -- and may I ask you just very briefly in a word -- will Libya be handing over the suspects for a trial in the Netherlands?

GADHAFI: Thank you very much. First of all, I have to express my gratitude to the international community under the regional organizations that exerted the forces during all these years to reach such an initiative or solution.

And I think the issue of Lockerbie is in -- it is wise to be suffered (ph) after this agreement or (INAUDIBLE) of America and the UK. They agreed on the Libyan initiative. Many, years, we declare it -- that the suspects must be tried in a fair third country, (INAUDIBLE) country, and we suffered more during all these years.

But now we thank God and thank the international community because the pressure of the international community and the support -- their support to Libya convinced now America and Britain to comply to the international will.

I think Libya has no objection because it is an initiative. It is a proposal. But I am not sure America and UK have good intention to solve this problem.

I am not sure they are serious. Because I expected mines to be put in the way of the solution because these two governments always hindering this solution of this problem, and put obstacles always. And I am not sure these governments are seriously want to solve this problem.

I expect mines. I expect tricks, conditions, to make the trial impossible. But Libya has no conditions.

CLANCY: Libya has no conditions. So is that an unqualified yes that the suspects will be handed over to the Netherlands?

CLANCY: And when might that happen?

GADHAFI: Of course, but as I said, there is dialogue and negotiation must be done and that the nations (ph) must be very clear in front of the world because they are not things of fruit (ph). They are human beings. How we (ph) will deal with these two people?

CLANCY: So you say, there must be some kind of negotiations in advance of surrendering these two men for trial in the Netherlands, some contacts between your government and the governments of Britain and the United States?

GADHAFI: Of course Libya is ready to talk directly with America or Britain, but they refuse. And anyhow, more details, more details must clear.

We will (INAUDIBLE) say give us these two people quickly. They are not things of fruit (ph), as I said. They are people, human beings. Their destiny must be assured to many (INAUDIBLE) to know, and it is the direct responsibility of the UN and Security Council and the general secretary of the UN.

CLANCY: Colonel Gadhafi, some of our viewers see that you are in a wheelchair right now. They perhaps haven't heard about your accident. Do you want to explain that? And how are you feeling? You're looking well.

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Thank you very much for your questioning, for your asking. And it is a very simple matter, anyhow. I was exercising sports and I fell down. I broke my leg and now my health is improving. As a matter of fact, I use the chair to move around.

But let's go back to the most important issue to all of us.

CLANCY: Are you concerned that U.S. intelligence or British intelligence officers might put pressure on these men once they were to arrive in the Netherlands, pressure perhaps to blame others, ranking officials in Libya?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As I said, there are procedures, arrangements, guarantees that the whole world should know before these two suspects should be handed over. Before -- before the handing over. There is no problem. But before the handing over, all these procedures and arrangements should be quite clear. And the resolution of the Security Council should be adopted and issued straightaway, very soon, but it should not contain things or measures that the great majority does not know of.

For instance, there is a convention, an agreement concluded between Britain and Holland. Libya doesn't know the substance or the contents of this agreement, and it should be agreed before it.

What is the destiny of the suspects if they are convicted or if they are not acquitted, and if they take any appeal action? These things should be clear first of all.

And as a matter of fact, we should warn that the Security Council should not be fooled to adopt a resolution that is full of pitfalls and mines, because Libya is not responsible for that. And we should make it clear before the eyes of the world that such things should not happen. And Libya can only be committed to things that it knows very well and that has signed and agreed upon.

But if there are other documents attached to the Security Council's resolution which we don't know, this is a trick, and we do not accept that and we do not approve of it.

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): And I would like to -- also to caution that all these plans, all these tricks and all these documents are a thing of the past and the year (ph) of it has been elapsed.

Britain, during the colonization time, used all these tricks. But the peoples of the world now are aware of it, and they study well, and know very well the history of colonization. And any phrase or any terms which we do not understand, we shall underline it and we shall put lines under it, and we want to -- we can see it and study it carefully before we agree upon it.

CLANCY: Colonel Gadhafi, do you personally support this compromise? Do you support it yourself, and will you take it to the suspects and to their attorneys, and encourage them to go to the Netherlands for trial?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As a matter of fact, this is an elegant (ph) initiative,practically speaking, and it is an initiative that was supported by the Arab League and by all the international region (ph) organizations. We have -- Libya has no objection as far as the initiative itself is concerned. But our objection is in the pitfalls or in the tricks that may be attached to any Security Council resolutions.

CLANCY: On another subject before we have to go, we only have a few minutes left and I wanted to ask you about it. It's something of a mystery, but do you know the whereabouts of Abu Nidal?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I don't think it's appropriate to direct these questions to me. I'm not the chairman of the PLO, so to ask me about such a person (INAUDIBLE) whereabouts. I myself ask you the same questions -- Where is he?

CLANCY: So I take that as a no. You don't know his whereabouts this day?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Of course.

CLANCY: Are you seeking contacts now? You want to iron out some of these differences, you talk about tricks. Are you seeking contacts with the U.S. and British government to work this out? Is there an active process of negotiation, of discussion already underway?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As a matter of fact, the Libyan foreign ministry is in exhaustive and thorough contact with all the international community. This is a very serious and grave issue.

And I will say it again, that Libya -- I don't Libya is against the adoption or issuing of any resolutions from the Security Council. But Libya's against any pitfall or trick that may be attached to the Security Council resolution.

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): And to the best of my knowledge, in my opinion, I know that the Libyan Foreign Ministry declared and made obvious all the points of suspicion or skeptics on this initiative.

And what is most important is that the two countries -- Britain and America -- wish to solve this problem. There should be no pitfalls, no hidden tricks. That would make it difficult for Libya to accept it.

If they want the solution and they are serious to do so, so let it be like that and the third (ph) world country was (INAUDIBLE) right from the beginning, and there is no objection as far as this is concerned.

CLANCY: So, and we have to conclude here, we have your agreement -- Netherlands is a suitable country, and provided it is a straightforward trial as described in the UN resolution, if it is before the Scottish judges, you have no objections.

It is only if there is something unsaid that you might object.

GADHAFI: Exactly. Yes.

CLANCY: Do you look forward to the lifting of sanctions then and this trial getting underway? And do you believe that these men will be found not guilty of the crime that they are accused of? GADHAFI: Of course, sanctions must be lifted immediately after this agreement.

CLANCY: Do you believe these two suspects will be found not guilty when they are eventually brought to trial?

GADHAFI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is left to the court. I am not discussing whether they are guilty or not. This is not the responsibility of the whole (ph) world (ph). This is left to the court to decide.

We are talking about guarantees, procedures. I'm talking about procedures and guarantees, and whether there are good intentions by the two countries to solve this problem, or is it just a mere trick to adopt such resolutions and to avoid a resolution being adopted by the Non-Aligned (ph) summit similar to the one adopted by the U.S. summit.

And I would like to raise my voice and let the families of the victims hear me. I would like to caution them and warn them that they should be aware of these tricks, of these agreements by America and Britain, and I don't want them once again to be a victim.

If their governments want a solution, that's OK. But if they don't want the solutions, then it is just a trick and they will have more suffering, and I don't want them to suffer any more.

CLANCY: Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, we have to hold it right there because we are out of satellite time. We thank you for joining us. We've been talking with Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, revolutionary leader of the Socialist People's Arab Jamahiriya.

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