UNITED NATIONS, July 12: Libya has taken itself out of the elections for a seat to the UN Security Council next year, but Washington claimed on Friday that it has beaten back a challenge by Tripoli to contest the seat.

Libya was poised to contest the non-permanent Security Council seat in September which is being vacated by Syria at the end of this year, but sensing US opposition it took itself out diplomats here said.

However, American diplomats here say that under a compromise worked out with the cooperation of West African friends of the United States, the seat sought by Libya will go instead to Algeria.

The Arab seat on the Council alternates at two-year intervals between a Middle Eastern country and a North African country.

Three years ago, the United States was able to derail the Security Council candidacy of Sudan, listed by the State Department as a sponsor of international terrorism, much like Libya.

The argument that the US officials made against Libya was that it technically remains under UN sanctions and therefore is not an appropriate candidate for a Security Council seat.

The UN Security Council suspended the sanctions against Libya following resolution of 1988 bombing of a Pan-Am flight 103 bombing in which Libyan agents were implicated.

However, US continued its sanctions against the country saying that the sanctions will remain on the books until Libya accepts responsibility for the bombing and meets several other conditions imposed by the Security Council.

Washington was less successful earlier this year when it attempted to prevent Libya from being elected to chair the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Libya was the choice of the commission’s Africa bloc for the post. The Bush administration objected but only two countries joined the United States when the issue was put to a vote.