Plane carrying Libyan nuclear components arrives in US

An American plane carrying components of Libya’s nuclear weapons programme has arrived in the United States.

The plane landed in Tennessee where the equipment will be unloaded and evaluated, probably at the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons plant, an administration official said.

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, trying to break out of diplomatic isolation and seeking a lifting of US economic sanctions, has promised to end development of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction.

Tom Lantos, the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, met Gaddafi in Tripoli on Monday for 90 minutes and reported that the Libyan leader intended to follow through on his pledge.

Lantos said he would urge Henry Hyde, the committee chairman, to join him in a bipartisan appeal to the Bush administration to show “good faith” in Gaddafi by ending a ban on travel to Libya.

Gaddafi’s historic turnabout is being cited by the White House as a triumph in the campaign to halt the spread of nuclear technology.