The CIA and FBI said the suspects, employed by Libyan Arab Airlines in Malta, were also Libyan intelligence agents. The trial began on May 3, 2000. My children are now laying the groundwork as to how they want to approach this with their children, said Mary Kay Stratis, whose husband died on Pan Am Flight 103. "[79] Kchler also highlighted the role of intelligence services in the trial and stated that proper judicial proceedings could not be conducted under conditions in which extrajudicial forces are allowed to intervene. Acting as a money mule, or moving illegally acquired funds at the direction of another person, aids the work of criminals and is itself a crime. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Bissett. The bombing kills all 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and 11 residents of the town of Lockerbie. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. When, however, the evidence regarding the clothing, the purchaser, and the timer is taken with the evidence that an unaccompanied bag was taken from KM180 to PA103A, the inference that that was the primary suitcase becomes, in our view, irresistible. We have had contact with a lot of different people in the FBI over the years, said the groups president, Kara Weipz, and they have become almost like family members. The bombing was the first major terrorist attack on Americans. So we had to figure out how to make the trial accessible to everyone.. When the disaster occurred, Bells Glasgow desk contained files of all the cases he was working on. On Saturday, accompanied by 70 supporters, they cycled from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle. Two of Pan Am's subsidiaries, Alert Management Inc., which handles Pan Am's security at foreign airports, and Pan American World Services, were also found guilty. U.S. authorities have taken into custody a Libyan man accused of being involved with making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 270 people . Thirty years ago, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 sent a shock wave around the world. Each year, the university names 35 Remembrance Scholars, one for every student who died. It was the first time the FBI was involved working with other agencies, with other governments, to investigate and eventually resolve a major international terrorist attack against Americans, said Dick Marquise, the retired FBI agent who initially led the Bureaus investigation and who still cares deeply about the case. So much of what we ended up doing for 9/11 families and others has come from lessons learned from the Pan Am 103 families, she said. This had never been done in a Scottish court, said Tom McCulloch, who was a police officer with the Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary when the Lockerbie air disaster occurred. [80], A procedural hearing at the Appeal Court took place on 11 October 2007 when prosecution lawyers and Megrahi's defence counsel, Maggie Scott QC, discussed a number of legal issues with a panel of three judges. All 259 people on board were killed . Part of the main memorial stone to the victims of the Pan Am flight 103 bombing in the garden of remembrance at Dryfesdale Cemetery, near Lockerbie, Scotland, Dec. 20, 2008. Then as now, the goal is to hold everyone involved responsible for the crime and to bring justice to the families of the victims. We cannot say that it is impossible that the clothing might have been taken from Malta, united somewhere with a timer from some source other than Libya and introduced into the airline baggage system at Frankfurt or Heathrow. The Rev John Mosey, who lost his teenage daughter Helga, says: I could hear little clicks and clunks when on the phone and Lockerbie documents disappeared from my computer. But at Arlington National Cemetery this year, some of their grandchildren will be in attendance. [123][124], In a July 2021 interview, Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said that his father "had stopped riding his horse after the humiliation of the American bombing of Tripoli in 1986 and resumed riding it after the Lockerbie bombing."[125]. Former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was . Before they submitted their report, the PCAST members met a group of British PA103 relatives at the US embassy in London on 12 February 1990. Just a minute later, according to a video . The retired GP said: These two guys asked to meet me. On 20 December 1988, Swire's 23-year-old daughter Flora, who wanted to fly to the United States to spend Christmas with her American boyfriend, had little difficulty in booking a seat on the next day's half-empty transatlantic Pan Am Flight 103.Flora died when it crashed at the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 including 11 on the ground.. And its not just for the 35 they lost. A bomb aboard the plane detonated over the Scottish town of Lockerbie . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A 2012 Libyan interrogation report claiming he admitted to making the Lockerbie bomb had made its way to US authorities, and in 2020, the FBI traveled to Tunisia to interview the former Libyan official who had taken Masuds statement. On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. Colin chose not to use his position in the police to find out who the child was, feeling that it would have been unprofessional to do so. Frank Granito of Speiser Krause noted that "the rewards in the US are more substantial than anywhere else in the world but nobody has questioned the fee whilst the work has been going on, it is only now as we approach a resolution when the criticism comes your way. We all laid roses at the tree Hugh and Margaret had planted at the spot where they found dad and went to see the memorial in the town. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The "Shatter Zone" Portion Of The Reconstructed Fuselage Of Pan Am Flight 103, Which Exploded Over Lockerbie In 1988 Is On Display January 31, 2001. On December 1988, the Boeing 747 was scheduled to fly from Frankfurt, Germany, to Detroit, Michigan, via London and New York. This was backed up by a delegation of Lockerbie relatives, led by Pamela Dix, who went to 10 Downing Street on 24 October 2009 and handed over a letter addressed to Gordon Brown calling for a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the need for a public inquiry and the main issues that it should address. All 259 on board die, and 11 on ground. Pan Am 103's casualties included 11 victims in the Scottish town of Lockerbie, who were struck by falling wreckage. Flying at an altitude of 31,000 feet, the aircraft had just crossed the border into Scotland when the bomb exploded. Of the 270 total fatalities, 190 were American citizens and 43 were British citizens. Act as a Spokesperson In case of an emergency, one person should take primary responsibility to speak on behalf of the entire organization to eliminate conflicting messages and to prevent the spread of misinformation. Attali, Jacques (1995), Verbatim, Volume 3, Paris, Fayard. "Some families want cash, others say it is blood money", said a State Department official. For the FBI, Pan Am Flight 103 was a watershed event. I think thats one of the things that I admire most about them.. Lockerbie is a small town, said Alex Smith, where nothing much happens, but neighbors tend to know each other. Although he believes that most residents would like to quietly get along with business and not make a fuss about it, the townspeople responded to the disaster with amazing courage and dignity. A key suspect in 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people, the majority of them Americans, is in U.S. custody, officials confirmed Sunday. Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi refused to turn over the two suspects. As time passed, many came to say thank you. "[135], Another top legal firm in the US, Speiser Krause, which represented 60 relatives, of whom half were UK families, concluded contingency deals securing them fees of between 28 and 35% of individual settlements. As a result, the United States and the United Nations Security Council imposed economic sanctions against Libya. Bollier wanted to pursue this discrepancy, but was told by trial judge Lord Sutherland that he could not do so. [103], Until 2002, Libya had never formally admitted carrying out the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Terrific heat, he recalled. The airline was seeking $4.5billion for the loss of the aircraft and the effect on the airline's business. ABA Journal: Legal Rebels : Longtime legal tech leader Richard Granat These little details somehow softened the blow for us. Court told how jet's radar blip broke up at 7.02pm About 7:00 pm on December 21, Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 en route to New York City from London, exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. [38] The bodies of both 15 Sherwood Crescent children and both 16 Sherwood Crescent parents were never recovered. Within days, the FrankfurtLondonNew YorkDetroit route was being served by Pan Am Flight 3 until the company's demise in 1991. Then, two Libyan radio ships were sunk in the Gulf of Sidra. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A leading rights group has urged the U.S. and Libya to clarify the legality of a surprise extradition of a suspect in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland CAIRO -- A . Another 11 people died when the wreckage fell onto the Scottish town which gave the atrocity its name. Libya said it had to accept responsibility due to Megrahi's status as a government employee.[4]. Looking back, it was building those relationships that allowed us to come together to share information that led to an eventual solution in the case.. Their bodies were never found. Eladia Slade. During Remembrance Week, all the scholars speak for the victims during a rose-laying ceremony at a memorial in the center of campus. "University remembers Flight 103. This is a place that offers us comfort and such a special bond with the couple who found him, says tragic banker Frank Ciullas daughter Laurie Ciulla, mum of three of his grandchildren. So, there is a headstone with the 11 people whose bodies were not . At 7:03 p.m., 11 Sherwood Crescent residents, including a family of four, were killed instantly. Lockerbie bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi appeared in federal court in Washington, DC, on Monday, December 12. August 2003: UN sanctions lifted against Libya after Tripoli accepts blame and compensates families. A further US$2million would have gone to each family had the US State Department removed Libya from its list of states regarded as supporting international terrorism, but as this did not happen by the deadline set by Libya, the Libyan Central Bank withdrew the remaining US$540million in April 2005 from the escrow account in Switzerland through which the earlier US$2.16billion compensation for the victims' families had been paid. For the families who lost loved ones; for the Scottish police officers, firefighters, and volunteers who responded to an unprecedented disaster; for investigators and prosecutors who dedicated years of effort to the case; and for the residents of Lockerbie, there is no forgetting December 21, 1988. Mohammed al-Alagi, justice minister for the new leadership in Tripoli, said "the council would not allow any Libyan to be deported to face trial in another country Abdelbaset al-Megrahi has already been judged once, and will not be judged again. 270 people were killed, including 11 people in the town. 2023 Cable News Network. "It was the body of a child he'd found in a field at the back of his farm," he said. The people of the town washed, dried, and ironed every piece of clothing that was found once the police had determined they were of no forensic value, so that as many items as possible could be returned to the relatives. A flood of warnings immediately preceding the disaster had included one that read: 'team of Palestinians not associated with PLO intends to attack US targets in Europe. [10] It was the 15th 747 built, and was delivered in February 1970,[11][12] one month after the first 747 entered service with Pan Am. The captain, first officer, flight engineer, a flight attendant and several first-class passengers were found still strapped to their seats inside the nose section when it crashed in Tundergarth. [102], After the United States government obtained custody of Mas'ud, heads of the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committees of the Libyan Parliament, Talal al-Mihoub and Youssef al-Aqouri, demanded an urgent investigation into the extradition of Mas'ud, calling it a blatant violation of national sovereignty and an infringement of the rights of the Libyan citizen. It is, as we have said, clear that with one exception, the clothing in the primary suitcase was the clothing purchased in Mr Gauci's shop on 7 December 1988. As the forward fuselage continued to disintegrate, the flying debris tore off both of the horizontal stabilizers, while the rear fuselage, the remaining three engines, and the fin torque box separated. In 2008, the UK government "decided to 'do all it could' to help the Libyans get Al-Megrahi home and explained the legal procedure for compassionate release to the Libyans."[94]. On Dalkamoni's account bombs made by Khreesat were at large somewhere. [134] The Libyan government then proceeded to pay compensation to each family of US$8million (from which legal fees of about US$2.5million were deducted) and, as a result, the UN cancelled the sanctions that had been suspended four years earlier, and US trade sanctions were lifted. He resembles him a lot". "Lockerbie pair 'could have survived', This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 21:49. [46], On the day of the bombing, the French Directorate-General for External Security was informed by their British counterpart that the UK suspected the Libyans to be behind the bombing.[47]. U.S. Said to Be Near Charges for Another Suspect in 1988 Lockerbie Bombing. Rights group questions Lockerbie suspect's extradition This was just a catastrophe. There are so many things we do now that are linked to lessons learned from Pan Am 103, Turman said. Stobbs immediately made his way to Lockerbie and then to Sherwood Crescent. Both organizations share as much information as possible with the familiesanother lesson the FBI learned from the tragedy. "[52] A deep-cover CIA agent was told by up to 15 high-level Syrian officials that the PFLP-GC was involved and that officials interacted with Jibril "on a constant basis". Pan Am Flight 103: A look back at the Lockerbie bombing Probably the biggest regret I have is that we did not get everybody, Marquise said recently. The following day, a helicopter took Megrahi from Camp Zeist to continue his life sentence in Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow. Instead, the judges announced on January 30 that the verdict would be read the next day at 11 a.m. Turman raced out of the courtroom. Her team began contacting families and making flight reservations. Jalil's comments came on a day when Ghaddafi's defiance and refusal to leave his command prompted his brutal attacks on Libyan protesters. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. When asked if Libya would therefore seek reimbursement of the compensation paid to the families of the victims (US$33billion in total), Saif Gaddafi replied: "I don't know". Victoria Cummock's husband was among the 259 passengers who died after a bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight 103 on Dec. 21, 1988, just north of the England-Scotland border. Others sought the comfort of the peaceful memorials erected to honor the victims. Steven was laid to rest with his brother and sister in a Lockerbie graveyard. Documania. Dr Jim Swire, 82, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, said: We deserve to know who murdered our loved ones and why it was not prevented.. The application to the SCCRC followed the publication of two reports in February 2001 and March 2002 by Hans Kchler, who had been an international observer at Camp Zeist, appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Turmans team proposed an idea without precedent: Create a website and provide closed-circuit video coverage of the trial that families could access in various locations on two continents. Although it is sadly symbolic that the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 occurred on that day, it is perhaps more meaningful to consider that the responses to the tragedythe kindnesses shown, the friendships made, the positive changes to aviation security, and law enforcements care for victimscontinue to cast a very bright light into the world all these years later. Fhimah was found not guilty. Suspected bomb-maker arrested in Lockerbie attack that killed 270 There is also a book of remembrance at Lockerbie public library and another at Tundergarth Church. Detectives investigating the Lockerbie disaster revealed details yesterday of the painstaking investigation to find those responsible for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. Scottish police had also failed to inform the defence that another witness had testified seeing Libyan men making a similar purchase on a different day. [132], Jim Kreindler of the New York law firm Kreindler & Kreindler, which orchestrated the settlement, said: "These are uncharted waters. [63], Megrahi served just over 10 years of his sentence (beginning 5 April 1999),[64] first in Barlinnie prison, Glasgow, and later in Greenock prison, Renfrewshire, throughout which time he maintained that he was innocent of the charges against him. [162], The main UK memorial is at Dryfesdale Cemetery about one mile (1.5 kilometres) west of Lockerbie. Lockerbie farmer Kate Anderson has told the Mirror how 98 bodies rained down on her land. Everybody wanted to do something to help.. The family groups stated goals are to discover the truth about the bombing and to seek justice for their loved ones, to make sure the airline industry maintains and improves safety, to educate the public about Pan Am Flight 103, and to support one another. Had his parents' bodies been recovered, the entire family would be buried there together. They remember all 270 victims. A last treasured picture of Laurie Ciulla and her father Frank, who died in the Lockerbie disaster, Five of Frank's grandchildren at the fields where he was found, The grandchildren say they feel connected to Frank when they visit the place he was found, Farmer Hugh Connell discovered Frank six miles from Lockerbie still strapped to his seat, Police guard the wreckage of the Lockerbie Bombing in 1988, Jim Swire and John Mosey say they will fight for justice. He previously served three years in the U.S. Navy and five years in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, where he held the rank of major. She didn't realize at first what was . One theory suggests the bomb on the plane was detonated by radio. Megrahi is seen below a portrait of Gadhafi at Tripoli Medical Center in Libya. Geographical boundaries were drawn into sectors, and a dedicated team was assigned to each. The trial of Megrahi and Fhimah began on May 3, 2000, and ended on January 31, 2001. He claims he was visited by two journalists who were security agents. For the family of a young woman killed by terrorists, there is no such [68], On 3 May 2000, the trial of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah began. [156][157] The "Remembrance Scholarships" are among the highest honors a Syracuse undergraduate can receive. Swire and many other UK relatives have never believed in the guilt of the man convicted of the bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, while the aircraft was in flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, it was destroyed by a bomb that had been planted on board, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew in what became known as the Lockerbie bombing. But when the plane dropped out of the sky that night, no one was certain what had happened. Mothers and fathers, grandparents, children as young as 2 months old, and college students returning home from a study abroad program lost their lives in what was the largest terrorist attack in American history until 9/11. [55], The initial investigation into the crash site by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary involved many helicopter surveys, satellite imaging, and a search of the area by police and soldiers. November 2016. I am one of the signatories. Targets specified are Pan Am Airlines and US military bases.' [128][129], On 29 September 1989, President Bush appointed Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former Secretary of Labor, to chair the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST) to review and report on aviation security policy in the light of the sabotage of flight PA103. The flight was in route from Heathrow Airport London to New York City. Gauci was interviewed 23 times, giving contradictory evidence about who had bought the clothes, that person's age and appearance, and the date of purchase, but later identified Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. He met the families, and the compassion shown to them by the Scottish police made a deep impression on him. [135] The United States announced resumption of full diplomatic relations with Libya after deciding to remove it from its list of countries that support terrorism on 15 May 2006. 3 Steve was one of the first . All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. The cockpit crew was based at JFK.[20]. Megrahi's lawyers applied to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) on 23 September 2003 to have his case referred back to the Court of Criminal Appeal for a fresh appeal against conviction.
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