Pan Am Flight 103 - a regularly scheduled transatlantic flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Detroit, USA - exploded from a terrorist bomb at 30,000 feet in the air. Syracuse University Libraries' Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives, part of the Special Collections Research Center, is sponsoring a public lecture on Friday, Oct. 21, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library, Room 114. Just a minute later, according to a video . Heres what you need to know about the deadliest terrorist attack to have taken place in the United Kingdom. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Another 11 people died when the wreckage fell onto the Scottish town which gave the atrocity its name. And there's a good possibility they were conscious, said Dr. William G. Eckert, director of the Milton Helpern . The family of Frank Ciulla, one of 259 flight passengers who died when Pan-Am flight 103 was bombed, has spoken of the friendship they've built with the family that found him. After a three-year joint investigation by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and the US FBI, during which 15,000 witness statements were taken, indictments for murder were issued on 13 November 1991 against Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer and the head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA), and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, the LAA station manager in Luqa Airport, Malta. We didnt disclose a great deal of material to victims for fear that it would somehow damage the investigation., The magnitude of this case required new thinking. terrorist bombing, over Lockerbie, Scotland, United Kingdom [1988]. Although both BP and the U.K. government denied that Megrahi was discussed specifically, in 2009 British justice minister Jack Straw had stated that BPs business dealings with the Libyan government were a factor in considering his case. He had worked a day shift and was at home when a newsflash on the television announced that an airplane had crashed. At this point, the Clipper Maid of the Seas was flying at 31,000 feet (9,400m) on a heading of 316 magnetic, and at a speed of 313kn (580km/h; 360mph) calibrated airspeed. [93], Allegations have been made that the UK government and BP sought Al-Megrahi's release as part of a trade deal with Libya. Iran's involvement is alleged, either in association with a Palestine militant group, or in loading the bomb while the plane was at Heathrow. On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121. The BBC's Scotland correspondent, Andrew Cassell, reported on the 10th anniversary of the bombing that the townspeople had "opened their homes and hearts" to the relatives, bearing their own losses "stoically and with enormous dignity", and that the bonds forged then continue to this day.[41]. They seemed satisfied with what I said, as if I didnt know as much as they feared., UN inspector Dr Hans Koechler, an independent observer at Abdelbaset al-Megrahis trial, said: I had similar experiences after my first report on the Lockerbie trial in 2001.. One of the newly released documents is a letter from the Foreign Office in 1989. The bombing was the first major terrorist attack on Americans. 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. Transcript of the proceedings of the Scottish court in the Netherlands 2001, day 86. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. [53] In 2014, an Iranian ex-spy asserted that Iran ordered the attack. Authorities accused Libyan nationals Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah of manufacturing the bomb, which they said was made out of Semtex plastic explosives, concealed in a Toshiba cassette recorder, hidden in a Samsonite suitcase and slipped into an Air Malta flight headed from Malta to Frankfurt, Germany. They dont understand why we are reluctant to disclose information about the investigation.. [107] The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was accused of retaliating for these sinkings by ordering the April 1986 bombing of La Belle, a West Berlin nightclub frequented by US military personnel, killing three people and injuring 230. Airlines bent over backwards to book people on overnight flights. Thats one of the things that we do in the FBI, and we do well, is we speak their names. The Scottish court agreed, allowing a live feed of the trial to two sites in the United Kingdomone in Scotland and one in Londonand a delayed, taped feed broadcast to locations in New York and Washington, D.C. I find it encouraging, she said, that we are still on their minds, and their presence convinces me of that. The other 259 people aboard the aircraft died when the bomb blew apart the jetliner Dec. 21, 1988 or were killed by the 30,000-foot fall . During Remembrance Week, all the scholars speak for the victims during a rose-laying ceremony at a memorial in the center of campus. A total of 270 people were killed when a bomb ripped apart Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. [101] Beginning at the age of 22 in 1973, he began working with bombs for the Libyan intelligence service for the next 38 years. But after Libya was sanctioned by the United Nations for initially refusing to hand over the suspects for trial to face trial, it was agreed that the pair would be prosecuted at a neutral site in the Netherlands. He said, I want a professional victim assistance program. Kreindler argued that the fees were justified, since "Over the past seven years we have had a dedicated team working tirelessly on this and we deserve the contingency fee we have worked so hard for, and I think we have provided the relatives with value for money. 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. The first thing was to really try to understand what the families wanted and expected, she explained. 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. The US State Department maintained that it was not directly involved. We want to make sure we dont forget them, she said, and that we live the way they livedgoing after things, not being afraidalways looking forward and making the world a better place.. Jalil's comments came on a day when Ghaddafi's defiance and refusal to leave his command prompted his brutal attacks on Libyan protesters. October 17, 1990. (AP Photo: File)All over Lockerbie, those who hadn't been killed because 11 people on the . Building relationships, said Marquise, is one of the most fundamental lessons from the Pan Am Flight 103 investigation. The ceremony also honors 2002-03 Lockerbie Scholar Andrew McClune, who died in 2002. 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. Im quite proud of the Lockerbie people, actually., A month after the Pan Am Flight 103 attack, Syracuse University held a memorial service to honor its dead. [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. Jeannine Boulanger's daughter Nicole was 21 when she was killed in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. At the time Ciulla was an executive working in the U.K. for Chase Manhattan Bank. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The documents are understood to relate to the Mebo MST-13 timer that allegedly detonated the PA103 bomb. Read about our approach to external linking. Mum had been so worried about him dying alone in the cold of the Scottish countryside. 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. The clear inference which we draw from this evidence is that the conception, planning and execution of the plot which led to the planting of the explosive device was of Libyan origin. On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland, 38 minutes after takeoff from London. The trigger for the explosion was an MST-13 timer of the single solder mask variety. The other man, Lamin Khalifa Fhimah, was acquitted. [74][75][76], On 28 June 2007, the SCCRC announced its decision to refer Megrahi's case to the High Court for a second appeal against conviction. Each year, the university names 35 Remembrance Scholars, one for every student who died. The 259 people on board the New York-bound Boeing 747 are killed, along with . In addition, the university annually awards 35 scholarships to seniors to honour each of the 35 students killed. Another theory suggests the CIA prevented the suitcase containing the bomb from being searched. Six of the 13 cabin crew members became naturalized US citizens while working for Pan Am. [36] A couple and their daughter were killed by the explosion in their house at 16 Sherwood Crescent. As they do every year on the anniversary of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, family members, along with investigators, prosecutors, and officials from Scotland, the FBI, and the Department of Justice, mark the occasion at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Katz, Samuel M. "Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the manhunt for the al-Qaeda terrorists", 2002. The Connells had even asked to take dad in to the warm but were told they couldnt because evidence was still being collected. [39] Keegans' house at 1 Sherwood Crescent was the only one on the street that was not either destroyed by the impact or gutted by fire. Eladia Slade. December 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit via London blows up. On December 1988, the Boeing 747 was scheduled to fly from Frankfurt, Germany, to Detroit, Michigan, via London and New York. [71] Because three judges and one alternate judge had presided over the trial, five judges were required to preside over the Court of Criminal Appeal: Lord Cullen, Lord Justice-General, Lord Kirkwood, Lord Osborne, Lord Macfadyen, and Lord Nimmo Smith. Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 21:49, terrorist attack in the history of the United Kingdom, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (General Command), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Directorate-General for External Security, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command, Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, President of the United Nations General Assembly, List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft, 1933 United Airlines Boeing 247 mid-air explosion, "Clipper Maid of the Seas: Remembering those on flight 103", "Colonel Gaddafi 'ordered Lockerbie bombing", "Libya ready to accept responsibility for Lockerbie bombing", "Lockerbie investigators 'question former Stasi agents', "US unveils new charges against the suspect in 1988 Lockerbie bombing", "Lockerbie bombing suspect in US custody", "Photo: N739PA (CN: 19646) Boeing 747-121 by Jon Proctor Photoid:5894156 - JetPhotos.Net", "Pan Am Jet Crashes in Scotland, Killing at Least 273", "Diamonds in the Sky EP04 Aviation travel industry history series Conquering the Atlantic", "Court told how jet's radar blip broke up at 7.02pm", "UK | Lockerbie pair 'could have survived', "PaulJeffreys.com: website in the memory of Paul Jeffreys", "Honoring DS Fallen: Ronald Albert Lariviere", "EverythingPanAm.com The Virtual Pan Am Museum", "Lockerbie and the worst Christmas imaginable", "Pan Am Flight 103's Victims: A list of Those Killed 25 Years Ago", "Lockerbie: The town scarred by Pan Am flight 103", "Report of the President's Commission on Aviation Safety and Terrorism", "Muammar Gaddafi ordered Lockerbie bombing, says Libyan minister", "Khadaffi gav order om Lockerbie-attentatet [Gaddafi ordered the Lockerbie bombing]", "Libya rebel leader: I have evidence Gaddafi ordered Lockerbie", Gareth Pierce,24 September 2009, London Review of Books, "Secret CIA testimony identifies real Lockerbie mastermind", "Iran denies new Lockerbie bombing claims | SBS News", "US paid reward to Lockerbie witness, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi papers claim", "Scottish Panel Challenges Lockerbie Conviction", Report on Identification Procedures: Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi v. H.M. Advocate, "FBI offered me $4m: Lockerbie bomb witness", SCCRC Referral of Megrahi case for 2nd appeal, "Two new Lockerbie bombing suspects identified BBC News", "New Charges in Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing", "Lockerbie bombing suspect is now in US custody, Scottish authorities say", "Verdict of the Scottish Court in the Netherlands, 31 January 2001 from the official transcript", "Dr Hans Kchler's statement, August 2003", "Dr Hans Kchler's statement, October 2005", "Double standards in criminal justice: Pan Am Flight 103 v. HIV trial in Libya", "SCCRC refers Megrahi's case for second appeal", "SCCRC decides "a miscarriage of justice may have occurred", "Statement by Dr Hans Kchler on SCCRC decision, 29 June 2007", Lockerbie trial: an intelligence operation? Like many of his colleagues, the case consumed every minute of his professional life. At 7:03 p.m., 11 Sherwood Crescent residents, including a family of four, were killed instantly. His survival beyond the approximate "three-month" prognosis generated some controversy. Of the 270 total fatalities, 190 were American citizens and 43 were British citizens. The schools chancellor, Melvin Eggers, announced the establishment of a Remembrance Scholarship fund and plans for a memorial on campus. The retired GP said: These two guys asked to meet me. French investigative journalist Pierre Pan accused Thomas Thurman, a Federal Bureau of Investigation explosives expert, of fabricating false evidence against Libya in both the Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772 sabotages. Dad was cremated so we dont have a grave or marker to visit. Many of their bodies were found at Rosebank Crescent, .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12mi (0.8km) from Sherwood Crescent. [38] The bodies of both 15 Sherwood Crescent children and both 16 Sherwood Crescent parents were never recovered. . My task was to figure out how to support 270 families through a trial in another country, she said. Volunteers from Lockerbie set up and staffed canteens which stayed open 24 hours a day and offered relatives, soldiers, police officers, and social workers free sandwiches, hot meals, beverages, and counseling. The flight was in route from Heathrow Airport London to New York City. All 270 passengers and crew members on the plane were. The FBI, the Justice Department, no one really had much of a program of assistance in 1988 when Pan Am 103 happened, Turman said.
Rome Hartman Iv Obituary,
Benefits Of Marrying A Malaysian Girl,
Strengths And Weaknesses Of Holland's Theory,
Articles F
