It is not surprising to see, after many years, the Libyan government admitting responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. Financial compensation from the Libyan government to British and American families was unexpected; it amounts to some $10 million for each victim.
The French were predictably upset since the compensation they received from Libya for the French airliner that exploded over the desert in 1989 was small in comparison. In any case, there are two things that should engage Arab attention.
First, Libya’s natural resources make the country one of the richest in the world. The Libyan people are paying for the horrible crimes committed by the Libyan government. After three decades of dictatorship, the Libyan people are among the poorest in the world. They deserve to be saved and offered compensation for having endured so savage a ruler. Second, the Libyan government that always accuses other governments is now kneeling before the Zionists.
The world is seeking terrorists who are threat to all of us. Great efforts are being made to destroy terrorist organizations. This is nothing compared to a country rich in resources and able to spend millions in order to carry out terrorist operations in which innocent people are killed and injured.
The silence of the Arab and Islamic world was responsible for creating such terrorist leaders as Saddam Hussein. We have to stand together against the Libyan government that admitted responsibility for destroying the Pan Am plane over Lockerbie.
Arab News From the Local Press 23 August 2003
