At 75, Richard Granat does not fit the stereotype of a startup entrepreneur. Laurie, of New Jersey, said: It was very emotional. [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. [58] Gauci was shown the same magazine during his testimony at al-Megrahi's trial and asked if he had identified the photograph in April 1999 as being the person who purchased the clothing; he was then asked if that person was in the court. But when the plane dropped out of the sky that night, no one was certain what had happened. 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. [66], On 21 December 2020, the 32nd anniversary of the disaster, the United States attorney general announced that Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, a Libyan national in custody in Libya, had been charged with terrorism-related crimes in connection with the bombing, accusing him of involvement in constructing the bomb. [36] A couple and their daughter were killed by the explosion in their house at 16 Sherwood Crescent. Later, on 23 March 1986, a Libyan Navy patrol boat was sunk in the Gulf of Sidra,[106] followed by the sinking of another Libyan vessel on 25 March 1986. [97], In 2020, US authorities indicted Libyan national, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, for participating in the bombing. Attali, Jacques (1995), Verbatim, Volume 3, Paris, Fayard. Pan Am Flight 103 destroyed midair over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 [136], On 24 February 2004, Libyan Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem stated in a BBC Radio 4 interview that his country had paid the compensation as the "price for peace" and to secure the lifting of sanctions. [152], On 3 November 1995, then-US President Bill Clinton dedicated a Memorial Cairn to the victims at Arlington National Cemetery,[153] and there are similar memorials at Syracuse University; Dryfesdale Cemetery, near Lockerbie; and in Sherwood Crescent, Lockerbie. Across the town, across Scotland, across the world, the scale of the tragedy was becoming clear. Mum had been so worried about him dying alone in the cold of the Scottish countryside. William Taylor QC, leading the defence, said at the appeal's opening on 23 January 2002 that the three trial judges sitting without a jury had failed to see the relevance of "significant" evidence and had accepted unreliable facts. [citation needed], Patrick Keegans, Lockerbie's Roman Catholic priest, was preparing to visit friends around 7:00 that evening with his mother, having recently been appointed a parish priest of the town. In what was described as a milestone in Scottish legal history, Lord Cullen granted the BBC permission in January 2002 to televise the appeal, and to broadcast it on the Internet in English with a simultaneous Arabic translation. Another 11 people died when the wreckage fell onto the Scottish town which gave the atrocity its name. On 16 August 2003, Libya formally admitted responsibility for Pan Am Flight 103 in a letter presented to the president of the United Nations Security Council. A Lockerbie disaster victims grandchildren gaze reflectively across the quiet land where their granddad died in Britains worst terrorist attack 30 years ago. All 259 on board die, and 11 on ground. BBC interview of Dr. Hans Kchler, "Judgement on the scope of Megrahi's second appeal", "Secret talks on deal to return Megrahi to Libya", "Lockerbie: Megrahi appeal will not be heard until next year", "Timeline: Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi and the Lockerbie bombing", Summary of the opinion of the court in appeal by Abdelbaset al-Megrahi against Her Majesty's Advocate. [73] Kchler also issued a series of statements in 2003, 2005, and 2007 calling for an independent international inquiry into the case and accusing the West of "double standards in criminal justice" in relation to the Lockerbie trial on the one hand and the HIV trial in Libya on the other. At 18, Colin Dorrance was the youngest police officer on duty that night and has never forgotten the child who was brought to him by the farmer. On Dalkamoni's account bombs made by Khreesat were at large somewhere. [69], The Lockerbie judgment stated: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, From the evidence which we have discussed so far, we are satisfied that it has been proved that the primary suitcase containing the explosive device was dispatched from Malta, passed through Frankfurt, and was loaded onto PA103 at Heathrow. [137], A civil action against Libya continued until 18 February 2005 on behalf of Pan Am and its insurers, which went bankrupt partly as a result of the attack. During the First Libyan Civil War in 2011, former Minister of Justice Mustafa Abdul Jalil claimed that the Libyan leader had personally ordered the bombing,[3] while investigators have long believed that Megrahi did not act alone, and have been reported as questioning retired Stasi agents about a possible role in the attack. [161] This play has received the Silver Medal from the Onassis International Playwriting Competition and the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays award. 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. December 21 is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. [44], On 13 December, the warning was posted on bulletin boards in the US Embassy in Moscow and eventually distributed to the entire American community there, including journalists and businessmen. Lockerbie bombing suspect's arraignment pushed back due to family's The bombing, believed to be carried out by Libyan intelligence officers in retaliation for U.S. actions against then-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was a transformative event for the FBI, one that changed the way the Bureau investigates terrorism and assists victims of crimes. Alleged Lockerbie bomb maker in U.S. custody, officials say The approach was to make sure that families have information, make sure they have support, make sure we take their needs seriously and help them get through one of the most horrible things that can happen to somebody., Today, it is standard procedure for what is now the FBIs Victim Services Division to clean and return personal effects to victims of crimes. [93], Allegations have been made that the UK government and BP sought Al-Megrahi's release as part of a trade deal with Libya. Corrections? 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.. 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. To me it will be a signal of how serious the rebel government is for good relations with the United States and the West if they hand over Megrahi for trial. The Guardian, 12 November 1994, page 6, "Cover-up claim as Lockerbie film screening is cancelled". [103], Until 2002, Libya had never formally admitted carrying out the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. It was such an extreme, intense moment.". A sleeper cell belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (General Command) had been operating in West Germany in the months before the Pan Am bombing. [21], The explosion punched a 50cm (20in) hole on the left side of the fuselage. "There's just a sense of peace, a sense of conclusion to it. It was 11 years after the bombing. The bombing was the first major terrorist attack on Americans. Hugh mentioned Dads dark hair and asked whether his children had it too. Scottish police officers and Lockerbie residents regularly volunteered to be guides and companions to these special visitors, and because of the grace and compassion shown to grieving strangers a long way from home, lasting bonds were formed. Clipper Maid of the Seas' "squawk" then flickered off. Ten of these students were from other universities and colleges (including but not limited to Colgate University and University of Colorado) with collaborative relationships with Syracuse. 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. The US State Department maintained that it was not directly involved. Five weeks before this warning, Jibril's right-hand man, Haffez Dalkamoni, had been arrested in Frankfurt with a known bomb-maker, Marwen Khreesat. Air Crash Investigationss. Megrahi's appeal against his conviction was refused on 14 March 2002, and his application to the European Court of Human Rights was declared inadmissible in July 2003. Pan Am 103 bombing victim's widow in Miami-Dade hopes for more U.S. cases [139] Interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro on 7 December 2007, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said that the seven Libyans convicted for the Pan Am Flight 103 and the UTA Flight 772 bombings "are innocent". Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Dr Swire, who became the public face of families fight for justice, said similar things had happened to him. Hugh struggled to get across the field and had to take the car and were all looking older, but it was important we made that connection again. She didn't realize at first what was . Heres what you need to know about the deadliest terrorist attack to have taken place in the United Kingdom. [155] The university also awards university tuition fees to two students from Lockerbie Academy each year, in the form of its Lockerbie scholarship. I said, no, they havent stopped, they wont ever stop.. It then sheared off, up, and backwards to starboard, striking off the number-three engine and landing some distance outside the town, on a hill in Tundergarth. Unseen Lockerbie photos taken by a man haunted by a young woman's body As the fire trucks crested a hill a few miles away from Lockerbie, we could see the glow, Jardine said. Pan Am 103 originated as a feeder flight at Frankfurt Airport, West Germany, using a Boeing 727 and the flight number PA103-A. The flight was in route from Heathrow Airport London to New York City. There is also a book of remembrance at Lockerbie public library and another at Tundergarth Church. Hundreds of family members traveled to the Netherlands during the nine-month trial. 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. . Libya halted extradition of Gaddafi aide to US: report 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.. For the hijacking in Karachi, see, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi. Thirty-five Syracuse students returning home from a study abroad program were killed on the flight, and the university vowed never to forget them. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Some 300 tons of wreckage were scattered over an area measuring 845 square miles, making the disaster also a crime scene of massive proportions. May 2018: Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission probes Megrahis conviction. 2 commission seat . The wreckage of the crash was scattered over 2,000 square kilometers (770sqmi), and AAIB investigators were confronted by a massive jigsaw puzzle in trying to piece the plane back together. More U.S. civilians died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland than in any other terrorist attack except 9/11. Updates? The bombing kills all 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and 11 residents of the town of Lockerbie. Court told how jet's radar blip broke up at 7.02pm Pan Am Flight 103: Robert Mueller's 30-Year Search for Justice Lockerbie bombing victims with the remaining 20% of the sum agreed in 2003; News.bbc.co.uk. "Until we heard their story, I thought my dad had possibly had a fiery death, but he was relatively unmarked when he was found. [90][91][92] And, most devastating of all, there were 259 bodies. But while they wept, tormented by their imagination of what had happened to 45-year-old Frank, thousands of miles away astonished farmers Margaret and Hugh Connell had discovered him six miles from the town in one of their fields still strapped to his seat, 11B, and almost unmarked. The Libyan intelligence operative arrested last month for allegedly building the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 above Lockerbie, Scotland, more than 34 years ago was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but family members expressed that they've had trouble securing a defense attorney, according to a report.. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi's arraignment was . This summer, Laurie took her husband Noel Plasker, 51, and children Chloe, 21, Ethan, 19 and 15-year-old Leo to meet the Connells, now both in their 70s, while sister Michelle Lipkin took her husband Jeremy and children Jude, 16, and 14-year-old Simone. [105], The motive that is generally attributed to Libya can be traced back to a series of military confrontations with the US Navy that took place in the 1980s in the Gulf of Sidra, the whole of which Libya claimed as its territorial waters. Look back at the Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie bombing Despite the passage of three decades, noted Mike McGarrity, who leads the Bureaus Counterterrorism Division, the FBI does not forget. More than 10,000 pieces of debris were retrieved, tagged, and entered into a computer tracking system. Of the 270 total fatalities, 190 were American citizens and 43 were British citizens. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by Clipper Maid of the Seas, a Boeing 747-121 registered N739PA. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The Libyan government claimed the air strikes killed Hana Gaddafi, a daughter Gaddafi claimed he adopted (her reported age has varied between 15 months and seven years). For the families of the victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Lockerbie and its residents will forever hold a place in their hearts. Lockerbie girl mystery 'laid to rest' - BBC News Lockerbie - BBC News I don't know if many of us could have survived if we didn't have each other, said Glenn Johnson, a Pennsylvania resident whose 21-year-old daughter, Beth Ann, was killed in the bombing. [140], Following discussions in London in May 2008, US and Libyan officials agreed to start negotiations to resolve all outstanding bilateral compensation claims, including those relating to UTA Flight 772, the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing and Pan Am Flight 103. [28] James Fuller, an American automotive executive who worked for Volkswagen, was returning home from a meeting with Volkswagen executives in Germany. He credits the Scots thoroughness and professionalism, under extreme circumstances, with finding critical evidencepieces of the suitcase containing the bomb, fragments of a circuit board, bits of clothing traced to a Malta businessthat led to the Libyan intelligence officers. "I now know the person I need to remember. Swire and many other UK relatives have never believed in the guilt of the man convicted of the bombing, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Pan Am flight 103, also called Lockerbie bombing, flight of a passenger airliner operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, after a bomb was detonated. Two hundred and fifty-nine people on board the New York-bound Boeing 747 were killed, along with 11 people on the ground. [68], On 3 May 2000, the trial of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah began. "[131] The statement first came to public attention in the 1994 documentary film The Maltese Double Cross Lockerbie and was published in both The Guardian of 12 November 1994, and a special report from Private Eye magazine entitled Lockerbie, the flight from justice May/June 2001. There were hundreds of passengers brought into the town hall. After being released, Megrahi returned to Libya and received a jubilant welcome. The bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 was concealed in a cassette recorder and packed inside a suitcase that was loaded onto a flight from Malta to Frankfurt, Germany, with no accompanying passenger. Flying at an altitude of 31,000 feet, the aircraft had just crossed the border into Scotland when the bomb exploded. Over three years, investigators from the United States, Britain, Germany and other countries questioned more than 15,000 people in more than 30 countries and collected thousands of pieces of evidence. . Collect, curate and comment on your files. In 2003, Gaddafi accepted Libya's responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and paid compensation to the families of the victims, although he maintained that he had never given the order for the attack. And another generation will be poised to keep the memories alive. This mother tragically lost her son in the bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103. Suspected bomb-maker arrested in Lockerbie attack that killed 270 As always you can unsubscribe at any time. It would be nearly a decade before the Libyan government turned the two over to face trial. In many ways, the reverberations are still being felt today. Pan Am Flight 103 . Pan Am flight 103, also called Lockerbie bombing, flight of a passenger airliner operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, after a bomb was detonated. In all, 270 souls perished. He resembles him a lot". Bollier wanted to pursue this discrepancy, but was told by trial judge Lord Sutherland that he could not do so. Lockerbie bombing suspect to make first court appearance on Monday in Washington. Scores of bodies fell on a golf course near Mount Tilla . [42], The anonymous warning was taken seriously by the US government and the State Department cabled the bulletin to dozens of embassies. [85] The second appeal began on 28 April 2009, lasted for one month and was adjourned in May 2009. Probably the biggest regret I have is that we did not get everybody, Marquise said recently. We update each other on what both organizations are doing, we have regular face-to-face meetings, whether in the U.S. or Scotland, and we keep in contact., If I had a message to tell the families and people around the world, Cossar added, it is that this is very much a live investigation, and we are hopeful that at some point in the future we will have potentially another trial and possibly another conviction..

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