Frank Lautenberg: “This amendment would withhold 5 percent of funds made available in this bill to any country that the President…”

“This amendment would withhold 5 percent of funds made available in this bill to any country that the President determines violates United Nations sanctions against Libya. The amendment exempts development assistance and humanitarian assistance. As my colleagues know, the United Nations imposed sanctions against Libya in 1992 in response to the Libyan Government's failure to extradite to the United States or Scotland two Libyan intelligence agents indicted for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. One hundred and eighty-nine Americans were killed in that terrorist bombing. The families of those innocent victims are still waiting for justice. Among other things, the U.N. sanctions prohibit international flights into and out of Libya. They also prohibit supply to Libya of aircraft and aircraft components. Nonetheless, some countries in the international community continue to help Libya's Khadaffi violate the sanctions. For example, five countries have allowed Libyan airlines to land on their soil in violation of the sanctions. These countries include Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Ghana. The amendment we are offering today would force countries that help Libya violate U.N. sanctions to choose between 5 percent of their foreign assistance and their support of a terrorist state.”