Libya joins UN Security Council with 178 votes

UNITED NATIONS – Libya won a seat on the UN Security Council, just over a year after the US removed the north African nation from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and without any opposition from US President George W Bush’s administration.

The US decision on Tuesday not to support a rival African country angered families of many victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, who said the United States should have done more to prevent Libya from getting a seat on the UN’s most powerful body. Libya was blamed for the bombing.The UN General Assembly elected Libya to a two-year term starting January 1 on the first ballot along with Vietnam and Burkina Faso, who also had no opposition.Croatia and Costa Rica won on the third ballot after their opponents, the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic, dropped out after two rounds of secret balloting.Libya was demonised for years by the United States as a sponsor of various terrorist groups as far-flung as the Irish Republican Army and Palestinian factions, and for trying to undermine pro-Western governments in Africa.Libya was also blamed for a West Berlin disco bombing that killed two American soldiers in 1986.Asked about Libya joining the council, US deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff told reporters “the United States doesn’t reveal how it votes on these elections.”But he said “the world changes,” citing the responsible role that World War II enemies Germany and Japan now play.”We look forward to working with all new members that are elected,” he repeated several times.Libya’s UN Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi stressed the 178 ‘yes’ votes Libya received in the 192-member General Assembly and told reporters: “It means I can say we are back to the international community, that all the problems we have faced in the past are now behind us.””I think our relations with the US nowadays are back to normal …and I think they have not worked against our candidacy.We are sure about that,” he said.Glenn Johnson, who lost his 21-year-old daughter Beth Ann in the Lockerbie bombing and chairs the group ‘Victims of Pan Am 103’, which represents families of about 160 of the 270 victims, said Libya still owes the families $2 million apiece as part of a settlement that Libya made with the US.The families have already received $8 million each.Nampa-APLibya was blamed for the bombing.The UN General Assembly elected Libya to a two-year term starting January 1 on the first ballot along with Vietnam and Burkina Faso, who also had no opposition.Croatia and Costa Rica won on the third ballot after their opponents, the Czech Republic and the Dominican Republic, dropped out after two rounds of secret balloting.Libya was demonised for years by the United States as a sponsor of various terrorist groups as far-flung as the Irish Republican Army and Palestinian factions, and for trying to undermine pro-Western governments in Africa.Libya was also blamed for a West Berlin disco bombing that killed two American soldiers in 1986.Asked about Libya joining the council, US deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff told reporters “the United States doesn’t reveal how it votes on these elections.”But he said “the world changes,” citing the responsible role that World War II enemies Germany and Japan now play.”We look forward to working with all new members that are elected,” he repeated several times.Libya’s UN Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi stressed the 178 ‘yes’ votes Libya received in the 192-member General Assembly and told reporters: “It means I can say we are back to the international community, that all the problems we have faced in the past are now behind us.””I think our relations with the US nowadays are back to normal …and I think they have not worked against our candidacy.We are sure about that,” he said.Glenn Johnson, who lost his 21-year-old daughter Beth Ann in the Lockerbie bombing and chairs the group ‘Victims of Pan Am 103’, which represents families of about 160 of the 270 victims, said Libya still owes the families $2 million apiece as part of a settlement that Libya made with the US.The families have already received $8 million each.Nampa-AP