LIBYA: TRIPOLI: EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS BECOME EVIDENT

(8 Sep 1996) Arabic/Eng
Libya continues to resist pressure from the US which insists Tripoli hand over two suspects accused of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland seven years ago,
Early last month, Washington imposed harsh sanctions on foreign companies that invest in the Libyan economy in an attempt to break the isolated Arab state.
The sanctions came on top of the embargo the United Nations imposed in 1992, restricting international flights to and from Libya.
Libya has so far ruled out handing over the suspects to the US - and is determined to endure the sanctions for as long as necessary.
Tripoli's International Airport has had no regular international aircraft take off from its runways since 1992 when the United Nations imposed air sanctions.
Since then Libyan aircraft have been restricted to flying inside the country's own borders.
The air sanctions affect those wishing to enter or leave Libya - they have to suffer long hours of travelling overland to one of Libya's few border airports.
In addition, they affect the arrival of much needed supplies - the country is running dangerously low on medicines.
But four years of a ban on international air traffic has not dented Libya's resolve not to surrender the wanted men.
Despite the hardship, the Libyans are determined to endure the embargo.
SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The air embargo affects Libyans and limit medicine, trade and all kinds of travel. We don't even have to talk about it. It is obvious."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop
SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The sanctions placed on us affect everything - medicine for example. If the embargo is slightly lifted then life would be better."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop
Opponents of the regime of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi claim the sanctions have not targetted the right area.
They say Libya is still able to sell as much oil as it wants and that goods can still be imported by ship.
But Libya's oil industry may not be remain untouched for much longer.
The US has stepped up pressure against Tripoli, which it accuses of supporting "state- sponsored terrorism".
Recently, President Clinton signed new legislation imposing a range of sanctions against foreign companies investing in either Libya or Iran's oil industries.
Considering the vital importance of Libya's oil industry to the national economy, the sanctions could have a drastic effect not too far down the road.
But Gadhafi's critics doubt whether any amount of sanctions will ever have the desired effect.
SOUNDBITE:
"Any kind of sanctions are never going to affect the political system. We have the Iraqi example in front of us and no matter how harder the sanctions get, the new American law of punishing companies who are investing money in Libya will never affect the system. The system has enough money to spend on itself and its soldiers and officers and the people might suffer if more sanctions are put in place, but present sanctions are not enough. They are just symbolic."
SUPER CAPTION: Abd El-Hamid, Libyan dissident
The new US measures are aimed at undermining the credibility of Moammar Gadhafi.
But critics of the Libyan regime believe the sanctions are only hurting the people, leaving the reins of power firmly in Gadhafi's hands.
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