BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. State Department is considering making changes in its policy toward Libya. Our CNN State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, has details.</s>ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost 20 years after the United States made its first moves to isolate Libya, the Clinton administration is taking a modest but potentially meaningful step along the path to normalizing diplomatic relations. In a written statement, State Department spokesman James Rubin, explained that Secretary Albright "has authorized a consular visit to Libya to assess safety conditions for Americans citizens in Libya." Four State Department officials will travel there Wednesday and spend a day visiting hotels, the airport and talking with Americans living in Tripoli. Following this visit, Rubin added, the U.S. will decide "whether or not to remove the restriction on the use of U.S. passports for travel to, in or through Libya." This trip comes roughly six weeks before the start of the trial of two Libyans accused of planting the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Some of the family members of the 270 people killed in that terrorist act were notified about the State Department's plans in a conference call on Tuesday and questioned whether this official U.S. trip to Libya is in fact a gesture to Muammar Qadhafi for turning over the two suspects last spring.</s>KOPPEL: The State Department denies this visit is related to the trial of the two Lockerbie suspects and insists the U.S. government has not changed its position. But a former U.S. ambassador to the Middle East believes that if the travel ban is lifted, the next logical move would be to allow American businesses to return. Reporting live, I'm Andrea Koppel, CNN, the State Department. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web
U.S. State Department Takes Step Toward Normalizing Diplomatic Relations With Libya