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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 3, 1993

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The White House today announced new measures to tighten economic sanctions against Libya. These measures are pursuant to the imposition by the world community of new sanctions against Libya under UNSC Resolution 883 and are designed to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks against Pan Am 103 and UTA 772. The actions signal that Libya cannot continue to defy justice and flout the will of the international community with impunity.

UNSC Resolution 883 freezes assets owned or controlled by the Government of Libya on a world-wide basis and bans provision of equipment for refining and transporting oil. It tightens the international air embargo and other measures imposed in 1992 under UNSC Resolution 748. It is the result of close cooperation between the United States, France and the United Kingdom, whose citizens were the principal victims of Libyan-sponsored terrorist attacks against Pan Am 103 and UTA 772, and consultations with Russia and other friends and allies.

The President has instructed the Secretary of Commerce to reinforce our current trade embargo against Libya by prohibiting the sale from foreign countries to Libya of U.S.-origin products, including equipment for refining and transporting oil.

The President is also renewing for another year the national emergency with respect to Libya pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This renewal extends the current comprehensive financial and trade embargo against Libya in effect since 1986. Under these sanctions, all trade with Libya is controlled by the Department of the Treasury, and all assets owned or controlled by the Libyan Government in the U.S. or in possession of U.S. persons are frozen.

The United States continues to believe that still stronger measures, including a world-wide oil embargo, should be enacted if Libya continues to defy the international community. We remain determined to ensure the perpetrators of these acts of terrorism are brought to justice. The families of the victims in the murderous Lockerbie bombing and other acts of Libyan terrorism deserve nothing less.