Libya

Libya is a country located in Northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Its official name is Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Libya occupies a huge area, most of which is part of the Sahara Desert. Nonetheless, in terms of area it is the 4th largest country of the African continent, and the 17th largest in the world.

Relations with the U.S.

Relations between Liyba and the United States have gone through many changes since Libya gained its sovereignty in 1951. Though it was initially headed by a pro-western government, that changed in 1969 when Moammar Gadhafi led a coup against the country's King Idris. Since then he has led the Libyan government, yet he holds no official title. Gadhafi closed all American and British military bases in Libya; later Libyan agents were found to be involved in various anti-western Terrorist activities. By 2003 Libya would begin a round of foreign relations policy changes, thus improving its ties to the U.S.

Connection to Lockerbie Plane Bombing Attack

In a letter presented to the United Nations Security Council on August 16, 2003, the Libyan government formally admitted responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 passengers over Lockerbie, Scotland.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockerbie_bombing

The letter stated that Libya had, "accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials." On May 29, 2002 offered financial compensation in the reported amount of $2.7 billion for those killed in the explosion.

Two men of Libyan descent, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah were indicted for murder for the incident. Only al-Megrahi was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison. On August 20, 2009, he was released from prison on compassionate grounds.