Blair spokesman says UK receives assurances Libya accepts responsibility for Lockerbie

Published February 25th, 2004 - 03:00 GMT

Libya's foreign minister has assured the British government that it "does accept responsibility" for the actions of its officials in blowing up Pan Am flight 103 in 1988, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said Wednesday.

London sought clarification from Tripoli after Libyan Prime Minister Shokri Ghanem told the BBC that Libya has not accepted responsibility for the bombing over Lockerbie and only agreed to pay compensation to improve relations with the West.

Blair's official spokesman said, requesting anonymity, that the government had received an assurance from Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam "through diplomatic channels."

On Tuesday, Libya's prime minister said Tripoli played "no part" in the Lockerbie bombing. Shukri Ghanem told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his country paid damages to relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims to "buy peace" and escape sanctions. (Albawaba.com)