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US says Khadafy must tread delicately at UN meetings
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-04 11:33

UNITED NATIONS: Washington's UN ambassador warned Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy on Wednesday against aggravating raw US emotions over the Lockerbie bombing when he visits the United Nations this month.

The release of Libyan Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, jailed in Scotland for the 1988 bombing of an airliner over the town of Lockerbie, and a welcome he received on returning to Libya caused anger in the United States, home to two thirds of the 270 victims.

"This is a very raw and sensitive subject for all Americans, having lost ... our compatriots in a terrorist act," Ambassador Susan Rice said.

"How President Khadafy chooses to comport himself ... in New York has the potential either to aggravate those feelings and emotions or not."

Khadafy is scheduled to visit the General Assembly for the first time in his 40 years as ruler of Libya. He will address the annual gathering of world leaders on September 23, directly after US President Barack Obama.

His expected presence has already caused anger. The US government has blocked a plan for him to stay at a Libyan-owned property in Englewood, New Jersey, following local protests.

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Following a diplomatic chill of many years, the United States restored full relations with Libya in 2006, responding to Khadafy's December 2003 announcement that he would scrap Libya's nuclear, chemical and biological arms programs.

The United States is required by a 1947 treaty with the United Nations to allow foreign leaders to attend UN proceedings in New York.

Apart from his General Assembly speech, Khadafy is also expected to speak at a Security Council meeting the following day that Obama will chair - the first US president ever to do so. Libya currently has a seat on the council.

Arab officials seldom let a UN meeting on nuclear issues pass without raising Israel's alleged possession of nuclear weapons. Israel has never confirmed that it has such weapons.

Rice said most of the 15 countries on the Security Council has promised that their leaders would speak for no more than five minutes, "and we expect no less from President Khadafy, should he come."

Speakers often ignore time limits in both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

Reuters