New York: The US urged Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi on Wednesday to behave himself when he attends United Nations meetings in New York later this month.
"How President Gaddafi comports himself when he attends the UN General Assembly and Security Council has the potential to either aggravate the feelings and emotions (of Americans) or not," US Ambassador Susan Rice said in a warning to the unpredictable Libyan strongman.
"We are certainly hoping that it will be an opportunity of a constructive General Assembly and Security Council session," Rice said in a news conference as president of the UN Security Council for September.
Rice said the release of Pan American Flight 103 bomber, Libyan Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, by a Scottish court last week has revealed a "raw and sensitive" issue in the United States. The downing of the PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killed 270 people, more than 170 of them Americans. Al-Megrahi was given a hero's welcome in Tripoli, infuriating Washington and victims' families.
The US ambassador said Gaddafi will have to comply with regulations while speaking in UN forums, which officially restrict speeches to five minutes. But the rule is usually ignored by most heads of state.
Gaddafi most likely will attend a summit of the UN Security Council on nuclear disarmament on September 24, which will be presided over by US President Barack Obama.
Gaddafi stirred strong protests by residents in Englewood, New Jersey, last week when they learned that he planned to live in a tent in the compound of the Libyan property in that small town. Gaddafi had also demanded to camp in New York City's Central Park, but that request was rejected.
It was not known yet where Gaddafi would reside during his visit to New York. Rice said his activities would be confined in the city.
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