Secretary-General Boutros Ghali refused a Libyan request to negotiate a U.N. Security Council demand for the extradition of two Libyans accused of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, and the United States said "all options" were considered open.
Western diplomats at the United Nations also said Wednesday that France would reject another Libyan demand to set up a third party to mediate the case involving Libya and the destruction of a French jetliner.Flight 103 was destroyed over Lockerbie, Scotland, Dec. 22, 1988, with a loss of 270 lives. UTA Flight 772 blew up over Niger Sept. 19, 1989, killing 171 people. France, Britain and the United States have accused Libya of masterminding the incidents and harboring the suspects in the bombings.
The quick rejection of the Libyan request was aimed at containing what appeared to be a Libyan effort to stall the U.N. request that the Libyans be extradited.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher accused Libya of trying "to confuse the issue."
Boucher said U.S. officials will discuss options with other members of the Security Council.
"If Libya fails to comply, as we've said before, we consider all options open," he said.
It was not known what the U.S., French and British ambassadors had decided. They have recently threatened to push through the Security Council a package of economic sanctions against Libya if it continues to shield the agents.