Libya's highest legislature on Saturday opened a crucial session on whether to hand over to the West two suspects in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. No immediate decision was made, but the body's chairman reiterated that Libya's laws prohibit extradition of its citizens.
The General People's Congress opened after four days of unprecedented criticism by the official press of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and his longtime dream of Arab unity. That was seen by diplomats and analysts as possibly indicating an impending change in Libya's policies.Ostensibly, Gadhafi has left it to the General People's Congress to decide the bombing suspects' fate. Gadhafi says he is obliged to carry out the dictates of the congress, although it actually is a rubber-stamp body for his policies.
Legislative action permitting extradition would give Gadhafi a face-saving way out of his standoff with the West.
Gadhafi, speaking Friday night to an international conference of the Greens and Alternative and Peace Movements in Libya, showed no signs of moderating his stance.
". . . Imperialism violates the world for its designs and expansionism without any regard for the independence of peoples and their right to life," Gadhafi said.
Gadhafi has refused to turn over to the United States or Britain two Libyans suspected in the 1988 airline bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people died.
The Libyan leader's refusal brought U.N. air, arms and diplomatic sanctions that began on April 15.
This week's press critiques faulted Gadhafi for pursuing policies that bring hardship to Libya and urged him to abandon his longtime goal of unifiying the Arab world with himself at the helm.