US, Libya Near Compensation Deal on Terror Attacks

Gollust report - Download (MP3) Gollust report - Listen (MP3) The State Department confirms that the United States and Libya are close to finishing a comprehensive deal to settle outstanding claims from Libyan-backed acts of terrorism in the 1980s. The U.S. Senate Thursday approved a key component of the deal. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department. Relations between the two countries have improved markedly since 2003 when Libya renounced terrorism and agreed to give up its weapons of mass destruction programs. But political and economic relations have not been completely normalized due to lingering disputes over compensating American and other victims of 1980's acts of terrorism for which Libya has taken responsibility. Now, in an apparent breakthrough, the Bush administration and the government of Libyan... [read full story]