Libya

The United Nations Security Council passed three resolutions that placed sanctions on Libya until Libya surrendered for trial two men suspected of bombing Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 and French flight UTA 772 in 1989. Libya surrendered the two men on April 5, 1999, and the UN suspended the sanctions the same day. US sanctions against Libya remain in place. Libyan-US relations have been plagued by a series of incidents between US and Libyan armed forces, Libyan policies of supporting terrorism, Libya's search for chemical and nuclear weapons, and Libyan meddling in other nations' internal affairs. Al-Quadhafi has proposed bilateral and multilateral unions with his neighbours and several other countries, and envisions himself as carrying on for Egypt's Nasir in unifying the Arab, Islamic and African worlds. Libyan leader Muammar al-Quadhafi implemented a form of participatory democracy in Libya, where villages elect Peoples' Congresses, which in turn elect Peoples' Congresses for geographic regions and the central government. In addition, there are Peoples' Congresses representing industries or institutions, such as education, medicine or broadcasting. Despite the presence and apparent activity of the Peoples' Congresses, it is clear that members of the Revolutionary Command Council, created after the 1969 coup, and their cohorts continue to exercise great influence, perhaps dictatorial authority over Libya. Libya enjoys a favourable balance of trade and payments and runs a small budget deficit. Al-Quadhafi has used his military in a 1977 border dispute with Egypt; in 1972 and 1978 he attempts to buttress Idi Amin in Uganda, in several attempts to influence events in Chad, and aid in a token deployment in Lebanon.