New Jersey (AP) - Officials are trying to prevent Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from staying in northern New Jersey when he visits the United States next month.

Libya is renovating a mansion that it bought in Englewood in1982. People in the New York City suburb are riled by reports thatGadhafi may stay in a Bedouin tent on the property when he speaksat the United Nations.

State Rep. Steve Rothman, who represents Englewood, saysofficials should do everything they can to prevent Gadhafi fromcoming to town.

Gadhafi praised Scotland's decision last week to release theLibyan convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pam Am 103, which killed270 people.

Relatives of the American victims, some of whom live in NewJersey, expressed outrage.