The United States and Britain on Wednesday welcomed the conviction of a Libyan for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people, but stood firm in demanding Tripoli accept responsibility and compensate the victims' families before UN sanctions are lifted.
"I want to assure the families and victims, the United States government will continue to pressure Libya to accept responsibility for this act and to compensate the families," said President George W. Bush.
"We expect Libyan authorities to take full responsibility for the action of their official," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said through a spokesman after the verdict from a Scottish court sitting in the
Netherlands.
The court convicted one of two Libyans charged with planting the suitcase bomb which brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie killing all 259 people aboard -- including 189 Americans -- and 11 on the ground.
The three-judge court, wrapping up an 84-day trial, found Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, 48, guilty of bombing and sentenced him to life in a Scottish prison with no possibility of parole for 20 years, to be deported "if and when he is released."
The second Libyan accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, 44, was acquitted.
"Nothing can change the suffering and loss of this terrible act. But I hope the families do find some
solace that a guilty verdict was rendered," said Bush, confronting the first major international development of his 11-day presidency.
A spokesman said the British leader was "glad justice has been done," but emphasised: "We also expect them (Libya) to pay compensation as awarded by the courts, and this and other requirements are laid down in the United Nations Security Council resolutions and are obligatory on Libya."
He said an amount of 700 million dollars had been set by the US courts.
In a statement released shortly after the verdict, the White House praised the decision as "a victory" for international justice but insisted that the conviction "does not in itself" spell an end to UN sanctions.