The World - News from April 17, 1987

The State Department said it would press for the prosecution of Americans who traveled to Libya to attend rallies marking the first anniversary of the U.S. bombing of that country. “We will press to ensure that the laws are enforced,” State Department spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley said. She declined to be more specific because the Justice Department is responsible for deciding whether to prosecute up to 200 Americans who reportedly went to Libya. Under sanctions imposed in January last year--four months before the bombing, carried out in retaliation for alleged Libyan backing of terrorism--Americans are forbidden to use U.S. passports to travel to Libya unless specifically authorized to do so by the U.S. government.