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Gaddafi will avoid New Jersey row

Society Materials 29 August 2009 12:39 (UTC +04:00)

A member of the US House of Representatives has said he has been given assurances from a representative of the Libyan government that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi will not stay in Englewood, New Jersey, when he visits the United States next month, AP reported.

Col Gaddafi's visit - to address the UN General Assembly - has sparked angry protests.

The Libyan government has been renovating an estate in Englewood ahead of the trip.

But Col Gaddafi is unwelcome in New Jersey because it lost 38 residents in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

The attack, which killed 270 people, is widely believed to be the work of Libyan intelligence.

Representative Steve Rothman said he was told of the decision to keep Col Gaddafi out of Englewood by former US Representative Bob Livingston, whose firm represents the Libyan government in Washington DC.

"I am very pleased that Muammar Gaddafi will apparently not be coming to Englewood," said Mr Rothman, who thanked the Libyan government for its help.

"His appearance would have presented unnecessary safety and security issues for the residents of Englewood and the Libyan diplomats."

The US Department of State confirmed that Col Gaddafi no longer plans to stay at the Englewood estate. However, the Libyan leader's movements will not be restricted during his US visit and it was not immediately clear where he would stay.

Col Gaddafi has worked to try to rehabilitate his image in recent years but angered the US and Britain last week with the warm welcome given to Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds because he is dying of cancer.

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