Libya Makes First Payment To U.S. For Lockerbie, Terror Victims' Families

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:52:01 +0000
AHN Staff

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Libya has deposited to the U.S. the first batch of compensation for American victims of the Pan Am plane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 and other terrorist acts sponsored by Tripoli.

State Department Assistant Secretary of State David Welch did not reveal the amount of the deposit to a special fund set up for the victims' families but told reporters Thursday it was substantial.

The total claims of families of victims of Libyan terrorist acts amounted to $1.5 billion. Each family of victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing had received part of the $10 million compensation promised by Libya.

Tripoli had agreed to pay the amount while Washington promised to pay $300 million to Libyan victims of the 1986 U.S. airstrikes in Tripoli and Benghazi. Then President Ronald Reagan ordered the attacks in retaliation for the bombing of a disco in Germany that killed U.S. soldiers.

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