A CIA report to Congress that was released in November noted Libya's reliance on foreign expertise and technology, but said that the suspension of sanctions against Libya in 1999 made it easier for it to acquire dual use technologies.

Libya has made its greatest strides with chemical weapons, producing about 100 ton of mustard gas and nerve agents in the 1980s at a plant in Rabta and using chemical agents against Chadian troops in 1987, according to US estimates.

But it closed the Rabta plant in 1990 and it halted construction of a huge underground complex at Tarhuna discovered in 1996 following US threats to take decisive action to keep it from becoming operational.

A Pentagon report entitled "Proliferation: Threat and Response" concluded in January 2001 that both plants were believed to be inactive, although the chemical program had not been completely abandoned.

The more recent CIA report said "Tripoli still appeared to be working toward an offensive CW (chemical warfare) capability and eventual indigenous production."

"Evidence suggested that Libya also sought dual-use capabilities that could be used to develop and produce BW (biological warfare) agents," it said.

The Pentagon report in 2001 said Libya's biological weapons program "remains in research and development stage."

"Without foreign assistance and technical expertise to help Libya use available dual use materials, the Libyan biological warfare program is not likely to make significant progress beyond its current stage," the report said.

That report also said Libya had made little progress on its longstanding goal of acquiring or developing a nuclear weapon although it might be trying to recruit foreign experts to help.

Libya, which signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has a Soviet supplied research reactor at Tajura that is under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

The CIA report said Moscow and Tripoli continued to hold talks on the Tajura nuclear research center.

"In addition, Libya participated in various technical exchanges through which it could have tried to obtain dual-use equipment and technology that could have enhanced its overall technical capabilities in the nuclear area," it said.

Libya's 20-year effort to produce its own missile likewise has met with only limited success, according to the Pentagon report in 2001, which said its aging Scud missile force was of only limited use.

Two years later the CIA said Libya's missile program depended on foreign assistance from Serbian, Indian, Iranian and Chinese entities.

"With continued foreign assistance, Libya will likely achieve an MRBM (medium range ballistic missile) capability -- a long-desired goal -- probably through direct purchase from North Korea or Iran," the CIA said.

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