Libyan suspects handed
over !
05/04/99
MENA Libya has handed over two suspects in the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing
over Lockerbie, Scotland to representatives of the United Nations. The
suspects are now enroute to the Netherlands, where their trial will take
place.
Egypt's Middle East News Agency reported
that U.N. representative Hans Corell was at the handover ceremony in Lybia.
"In a historical moment awaited by the world, the two Libyan suspects in
the Lockerbie case were handed over to be flown to the Netherlands for
trial before a Scottish court," MENA said. ``The ceremony is taking place
now at Tripoli airport in presence of several foreign officials invited
to witness the event,'' aTripoli-based diplomat told Reuters. The ceremony
started at about 0800 GMT.
The Dutch Justice Ministry said it
would hold a news conference on Monday in connection with the
handover of two Libyans. "The news
conference will be today," a spokeswoman said, but gave no
information on the timing or location
of the arrival of the suspects in the Netherlands after a handover to the
United Nations at Tripoli airport.
Arab
and African dignitaries who witnessed the handover included Jakes Gerwel,
an aide to South African President Nelson Mandela and a key broker in arranging
the suspects' transfer. Arab League
Secretary-General Esmet Abdel-Meguid
was quoted by MENA late Sunday as calling for the total lifting of the
sanctions and not just a suspension once the handover takes place.
After the suspects arrive in the
Netherlands, they will have to be extradited from Dutch to Scottish custody,
and the courtroom will for legal purposes become Scottish territory. They
must face a preliminary hearing within two days. The trial should begin
within 110 days, but given the complexities of the case, the defence is
expected
to request a postponement.
Suspects positive of aquittance
During the handover ceremony, suspected
bomber Abdel Baset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi told Libyan television that he
and his co-accused, Al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah, were going to prove their innocence
to the world. The two men gestured with victory signs as they boarded the
plane bound for the Netherlands, escorted by the UN's chief legal adviser,
Hans Corell.
Abdel
Baset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi and Lameen Fhima, have both made a statement
on Libyan TV, saying that the two are innocent and going willingly to court.
This is Abdel Baset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi's statement:
" We want to reaffirm to everyone
that we are two simple Libyan nationals. We do not practise politics. We
support families and have children. We love our children and we love our
families. This is our normal life. "We were employees until we found
ourselves involved in this accusation. Our confidence in our innocence
has no bounds. We are confident of our lawyers' ability to defend us.
"Through the facts they [the lawyers]
have in their possession we are going to prove our innocence to the world.
"On the occasion of leaving [Libya] we want to tell everyone that, after
getting the permission from the investigating judge and the public prosecutor,
we are leaving freely and willingly without any pressure in order to appear
before the Scottish court in the Netherlands.
"We want everyone to know
that we have a great deal of self-confidence. "Time will prove that
we are telling the truth and you are present here and are witnesses [of
what I am saying]. We thank you once again for coming. We are also sorry
that you had a difficult journey [by land]; next time you will come directly
[by air] to Tripoli, and we are going to welcome you happily. God bless
you."
The second suspect, Al-Amin Khalifa
Fhimah, gave a V-for-Victory sign as he said: "I have nothing to add
to what my friend has said. "I hope to see you on our return very
soon, God willing. "Thank you. I wish for victory, God willing."
Saudi
prince called for lifting of sanctions during handover ceremony
Meanwhile, Prince Bandar, the Saudi
negotiator who helped implement the handover of the suspects, has urged
the lifting of the sanctions on Libya. Here is the text of his televised
address:
[Saudi Ambassador to the US, Prince
Bandar] "As I have mentioned previously, the world ought to know that
we are not mediators. We are your partners in good times and bad times.
We hope that the brothers [the two suspects] will come back safely after
they have proven their innocence to the world. At any rate, everyone must
know that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, the
Western media and some Arab media talk as if an indictment is there already.
This is untrue and unacceptable.
As for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
what is for the good of Libya is for the good of all Arabs. We hope that
today is made a happy day through the lifting of the sanctions on Libya.
It is the day when the brothers [the suspects] made their decision with
their own free will. This is a kind of national service to their people.
It is the bravery of decision-making. Had they had the least doubt [about
their innocence] they would not have done so.
Regrettably, I would like, through
the Libyan media, to chide some Arab media which report inaccurately what
they receive from Western media. I hope their stance will be a pan-Arab
one which supports Libya in this undoubtedly decisive decision. In fact,
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Africa are not the only ones who
made efforts. Other Arab countries and their leaders helped a great deal.
At the forefront of these are HE President Husni Mubarak of the great Egypt,
HM King Hassan of the dear Morocco, President Ben Ali of Tunisia and the
late King Hussein [of Jordan] who also played a role. Your [Lockerbie]
issue was the concern of the entire Arab nation.
With God's help we have reached
the end of the darkness which was hanging over the region. Libya will be
in a position to play its role, which is needed by the Arab nation, more
prominently. In the end, I would like to express my appreciation, respect
and admiration for the brother leader [Gaddafi] and the noble Libyan people.
"
Video-footage
from handover ceremony (courtesy of BBC and JANA)
Suspects'
plane landed in Holland
The two Libyan suspects landed in
the Netherlands about 3.p.m. local time later that day. Dutch authorities
have begun extradition proceedings for two Libyans accused by Britain and
the United States of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over the Scottish
town of Lockerbie, a Justice Ministry spokesman said.
``The two are in Valkenburg before
the examining judge,'' Victor Holtus told Reuters. The suspects arrived
earlier at Valkenburg airbase near The Hague after being handed over by
Libya. They must be extradited to Britain to stand trial before a Scottish
court sitting in the Netherlands.
The two Libyans flew into The Hague
from Tripoli on Monday before being transferred to the Camp Zeist compound.
They arrived in darkness aboard separate helicopters which landed on a
football pitch at the back of the former air base which has been declared
UK territory for the duration of the trial.
Each of the accused, heads covered,
handcuffed and wearing body armour, was greeted by two Scottish police
officers as armed colleagues looked on from the perimeter fence. The Libyans
were accompanied on their flight to the Netherlands by the chief legal
counsel to the United Nations, Hans Corell.
He told a news conference neither
man had showed any signs of anxiety. Mr Corell said: "Each of them had
a brother onboard and they had their two lawyers. "There were conversations
between them and also there were conversations between our security people
and of course the purpose was to create an atmosphere of, shall we say,
a friendly transfer."
First
reactions:
UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday he hoped justice would
be done in the 1988 mid-air bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland,
now that Libya had surrendered for trial two suspects accused of the deed.
``It's been a long wait. The secretary-general is pleased with these results
and hopes that justice will be now be done,'' chief U.N. spokesman Fred
Eckhard said shortly after Libya surrendered to the United Nations the
two men accused of the mid-air bombing.
``I am pleased
to announce I have just spoken to Hans Corell who has informed me of the
safe arrival in the Netherlands of the two Libyan nations accused of destroying
Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988,'' he said. ``I am
relieved and gratified by this news. This development marks a vital
step forward
in what has been a long ordeal for all involved, especially the families
of the victims who have suffered an irreparable loss,'' he added.
Corell flew
with the suspects to the Netherlands early on Monday. He left New York
on Friday for Italy, collected an aircraft with U.N. markings provided
by the Italian government and then flew on to Libya on Sunday, Annan said.
Annan noted that the operation was to have been handled in secrecy but
Libya had
invited delegations from several Arab countries to witness the handover.
He said there
was ``no hitch'' but ``we found a crowd when we thought it would be very
discreet.'' Annan said the United Nations, which has been sidelined
in the Kosovo crisis, played a critical part in the Lockerbie handover,
in arranging it as well as fielding queries between Libya and the United
States and Britain. ``I think it was critical and obviously it is a small
victory in the scheme of things,'' he said. But considering events in Kosovo
and elsewhere ``I don't think there is much to laugh about,'' he added.
In thanking
various governments, Annan emphasised Libya's role. He said he was ``looking
forward to the earliest possible resumption of Libya's normal relations
with the rest of the international community.'' Asked if the sanctions
played a role in Libya's decision, Annan said: ``I prefer to think they
have played a role. No country likes to be treated as an outcast, outside
the society of nations. I think Libya wanted to get back to the international
community. Libya wanted to get on with its economic and society development.''
Text of
Annan's statement on Lockerbie suspects
UNITED NATIONS
(Reuters) - Following is the text of a statement made to reporters Monday
by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the arrival in the Netherlands
for trial before a Scottish court of two Libyan suspects in the 1988 bombing
of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
``I am pleased
to announce that I have just spoken to (U.N. legal counsel) Hans Corell,
who has informed me of the safe arrival in the Netherlands of the two Libyan
nationals accused of destroying Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland
in 1988. ``I am relieved and gratified by this news. This development marks
a vital step forward in what has been a long ordeal for all involved, especially
the families
of the victims who have suffered an irreparable loss.
``I would
like to thank all those who have worked to make this possible. I would
like to express my personal appreciation to the governments of Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and
other leaders and governments who have contributed decisively
to the
resolution of this case. ``I am particularly indebted to President Mandela
of South Africa, King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for
their assistance and support. The government of Italy provided critical
help in arranging the transport of the suspects and I am most grateful.
``I am confident
that the two suspects will receive a fair trial by a Scottish court in
the Netherlands. I am also looking forward to the earliest possible resumption
of Libya's normal relations with the rest of the international community.''
The
Secretary-General said he would inform the Security Council in writing
of the hand-over and expected the sanctions against Libya to be immediately
suspended.He said a formal decision by the Security Council to completely
lift the sanctions could come 90 days after he submits a report
confirming
that Libya was no longer involved in international terrorist activities
and was also prepared to pay compensation to the victims of the bombing
should the two suspects be found guilty.
The Secretary-General
said there would be provisions made to ensure an international presence
during trial. "I am confident that the two suspects will receive a fair
trial by a Scottish court in the Netherlands," Mr. Annan said.Meanwhile,
speaking at a news conference in the Netherlands, United Nations Legal
Counsel Hans Corell, who accompanied the two men on the flight from Libya,
said there were several legal, political and practical considerations in
arranging the handover. "It was an extraordinary task for those involved
to arrange for this trial," Mr. Corell said.
Listen
to Kofi Annan's announcement (soundfile)
US
reactions:
The United States welcomed
on Monday Libya's handover of the two men accused of blowing up a U.S.
airliner over Scotland in 1988, calling it a positive step that paved the
way to justice. ``Now, at least, the road to justice has begun,'' President
Bill
Clinton said in a statement shortly after the suspects landed in the
Netherlands to face trial under Scottish law.
``This is clearly welcome news, although
long overdue,'' said White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart. ``We
think this is a positive step.''
Secretary
of State Madeleine Albright
called the handover an important milestone
toward legal accountability and a victory for a strategy based on multilateral
sanctions and international opprobrium. ``Diplomacy, especially in coordination
with close friends and allies, can be one of the most valuable tools in
our arsenal against terror, and this case proves it,'' she said in a statement.
But families of some of the 270 victims of the Lockerbie bombing said they
had serious reservations about aspects of the trial arrangements and feared
the real culprits would escape.
STATEMENT BY THE US PRESIDENT
White House Office 05/04/99
I am gratified that the
two suspects accused in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 were delivered
by the United Nations to the custody of Dutch authorities. Legal
proceedings will now take place in accordance with the U.S.-UK initiative
for a Scottish trial before a Scottish court, sitting in the Netherlands.
The terrorist
bombing of Pan Am 103 provoked outrage the world over. It led to
more than ten years of effort by the United States and United Kingdom,
with the support of other nations, to bring the suspects to justice.
I am
especially thankful for the repeated intervention of UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, who worked tirelessly to implement the Security Council resolutions.
I am also deeply grateful for the efforts of President Mandela, President
Mubarak, and the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar,
on behalf of King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah.
But most
important, today is a day to remember the men and women who lost their
lives on Pan Am 103. I know their loved ones have suffered greatly.
They, too, have labored hard to bring justice. Last December, on
the tenth anniversary of the bombing, I renewed my pledge
to the families that I would
make my best efforts to bring the accused to trial. Now, at last,
the road to justice has begun.
UK
reactions:
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary
Robin
Cook described the handover of the suspects as "an historic moment".
"It is the end of a 10-year diplomatic stalemate, and it justifies the
initiative we launched last year for a trial in a third country."
Listen
to Robin Cook (sound file)
Full
text of Robin Cook?9s press conference 05/04/99
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
praised
the relatives as "extraordinarily patient people" and said it was a "marvellous
thing" that the two suspects had been "brought to justice".
Listen
to Tony Blair (sound file)
Official
Libyan response 06/04/99:
Text as broadcast by Libyan TV of
a foreign ministry statement calling for a new start in foreign relations
following the handover of the two Lockerbie suspects.
"Following the resolutions of the
basic people's congresses, as adopted by the General People's Congress,
the latest of which was the resolution which was adopted on 14th December
1998.
As a results of the efforts which
have been made by a number of countries and foreign dignitaries, as well
as the good offices of the much-respected Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the
Republic of South Africa and the UN Secretary-General, to find a peaceful
solution to the so-called Lockerbie issue and guarantee a just and fair
trial of the two suspects before a court in the Netherlands in the presence
of foreign observers.
In accordance with the guarantees
which have been agreed upon and which President Nelson Mandela mentioned
in front of the meeting of the dynamic forces of the Libyan people in Tripoli
on 19 March 1999.
Proceeding from the two suspects'
conviction to go voluntarily before the above-mentioned court in order
to be able to show the truth in the interest of everyone, and their willingness,
with the agreement of their defence team, to travel to the Netherlands
for this purpose.
The General People's Committee for
Justice and Public Security has allowed them to travel in accordance with
the arrangements made by the UN General Secretariat.
While the General People's Committee
for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation highly praises the invaluable
and courageous stances taken by foreign countries as well as international
popular, political and legal organisations, as well as their efforts which
were a fantastic show of their solidarity and support for the Great Jamahiriyah
(Libya), it hopes that a negative phase in international relations has
now come to an end.
It hopes that a new opportunity has
emerged for forging equitable relations based upon mutual respect and non-interference
in internal affairs; resolving disputes through dialogue and understanding;
and repudiating all forms of violence, aggression and terrorism - relation."
(end of text)
Background info: Libyan
statements regarding Lockerbie 1991-1999
Reactions
from victims and relatives
To
Susan
Cohen, whose daughter was among those killed on Pan Am Flight 103,
the prospect of a trial for two Libyans on charges of bombing the jetliner
is no cause for celebration. Cohen says it is a victory for Libyan leader
Moammar Gadhafi. ``The world will live to find out that if you make a pact
with the devil, he comes back at you,'' Cohen said today in a telephone
interview from Cape May Court House, N.J.
She said Gadhafi got the United States
to negotiate with Libya, distanced himself and his country from the attack
and now will likely see sanctions lifted because of today's transfer of
the suspects. ``My child died,'' she said. ``Two hundred seventy people
died horrible deaths. Little girls, pregnant women, all kinds of people.
This is sickening to see this passed off as justice.'' Cohen's 20-year-old
daughter, Theodora, was a voice and drama major at Syracuse University
who was on the flight when the jetliner blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland,
on Dec. 21, 1988.
George Williams, president
of Victims
of Pan Am Flight 103, which represents 160 American families who lost
relatives, also was cautious about the surrender. ``If trying these two
is the ultimate goal of this trial, then it's a travesty,'' Williams said
in a telephone interview from his home in Joppa, Md. ``We look for the
truth wherever it may lead and we firmly believe that this will go all
the way to the top of the Libyan government -- Moammar Gadhafi.''
Still, he and others who lost family
members said the transfer of Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, 42, and Abdel Basset
Ali al-Megrahi, 46, was a start in the decade-long quest for justice. ``Now
perhaps we can start to get at the truth,'' said Williams, whose 24-year-old
son, Geordie, died.
And also speaking for the group Victims
of Pan Am Flight 103, Jack Schultz said it could lead to the
conviction of "unindicted co-conspirators" like the state of Libya. Mr
Schultz also welcomed the handing over the two men and hinted at the wider
implications of the forthcoming trial. "It is much more than the trial
of two individuals ... It means the world will know what the evidence is,"
he said.
Listen
to Jack Schultz (sound file)
Bert Ammerman, a New Jersey
high school principal whose brother was killed in the Pan Am bombing, said
he had mixed emotions when he heard that the suspects would be turned over.
"I was almost numb," he said. Ammerman credited the victims' families for
lobbying government officials to seek justice for those killed in the bombing.
But he added: "There will be a few
family members (to whom) anything short of Gadhafi being put on trial and
being brought to his knees will never be satisfactory. Personally, while
I can understand that and sympathize with that, I just don't ever see that
taking place." Ammerman said pressure from the United States and South
African President Nelson Mandela gave Libyan leader Gadhafi no choice but
to turn over the suspects. "It shows that if citizens have the right
cause and they persevere, they can overcome obstacles and things like this
can happen," he said.
Listen
to Bert Ammerman speaking on handover (WAV-sound file)
``The only way we'll see justice,
as much as possible, is if it starts with these two people,'' said Paul
S. Hudson, an Albany, N.Y., lawyer who lost his daughter, Melina. ``I've
learned justice is a process, and you can't be confident of the outcome.
But at least this is another step forward,'' Hudson said.
Joanne Hartunian of Niskayuna,
N.Y., said she was in shock over the surrender. ``I never really thought
they would be handed over,'' said Mrs. Hartunian, whose daughter, Lynne,
was a senior at the State University of New York at Oswego, returning from
a semester in London. ``I even now wonder if they will go to trial. I haven't
allowed myself to give it a lot of thought. I was afraid it would be a
lot of lost energy,'' Mrs. Hartunian said. ``I want a trial,'' she said.
``But please don't use the word `closure.' It's never going to end. Our
lives have been changed completely and we'll never get our daughter back.''
Jane
Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, said she was "very
relieved" at the news of the
handover. "Obviously nothing can
bring back the precious people that we have lost and that still hurts,"
Mrs Swire said. "At least this is a good message for the world. People
who are accused of wicked crimes like this are brought to justice."
Listen
to Jane Swire (sound file)
Dr Jim Swire, husband of Jane
Swire and spokesman of UK Families Flight 103,
was pleased that the suspects were finally on their way to the Netherlands.
But he said a trial would not "tell us who originated the plot and it's
not going to tell us why British intelligence did absolutely nothing in
1988 to protect our loved ones."
Speaking to BBC News 24, Reverend
John Mosey, whose daughter Helga died in the tragedy, said the trial
"removes a major obstacle" to an investigation into how the bombing was
allowed to happen. Rev Mosey said that "after almost 10 years of battering
at the door of our government ... and constantly being told it was totally
impossible " a trial a neutral country was going to happen. He attributed
the change to Prime Minister Tony Blair, who "heard the voice of the families"
and started the process that led to the deal.
But Rev Mosey said that the trial
was not the end of the Lockerbie issue, rather that a criminal prosecution
would remove "the huge obstacle" to an investigation of the circumstances
leading up to the bombing. "Then we can get on with the real business of
finding out who knew what and why this whole business was allowed to happen
after so many warnings," he said.
Rev Mosey said he supported the dropping
of sanctions, saying: "If the United Nations has said it, then in all justice
and righteousness it should happen."
Listen
to Reverend Mosey (sound file)
These
two men, if they did the bombing at all, were at the bottom of a chain
of command," said Pamela Dix of London, who lost a sister in the
bombing. "Like the other families, I want to know who was at the
top of that chain of command. "Likewise, I also want to know why the intelligence
agencies of the most sophisticated nations in the world were not capable
of stopping the bombing from happening in the first place," she said.
Background info: All
about the victims of Pan Am 103 and their lives 1988-1999
Lockerbie town comments on handover:
Lockerbie
residents harbor little hope that the handover Monday of two Libyans
accused of bombing a U.S. airliner over their town in 1988 will deliver
the two things they want most -- justice and obscurity.
Almost no one
in Lockerbie believes the suspects' upcoming trial in the Netherlands will
answer such basic questions as ''who'' or ``why'' that still haunt this
sleepy Scottish community more than 10 years after one of the world's worst
air disasters claimed 270 lives -- 259 aboard the Pan Am Boeing 747 and
11 on the ground -- and etched Lockerbie's name forever into history. Lockerbie's
3,500 inhabitants also fear the trial will again shine an uncomfortable
spotlight on them when all they want to do is to forget the horror of December
21, 1988, and move on.
``We
felt as if after 10 years, people were starting to forget, but now the
trial's going to dig it all up again,'' hotel manager Sheila Tindal told
Reuters. Many could not care less about the trial, weary after a decade
of unanswered questions while playing gracious host to grieving relatives,
visiting politicians, curious tourists and occasional hordes of media personnel
who invade their town. ``A tidal wave of apathy,'' was how one patron described
the feeling at a local pub upon learning of the handover.
``Most people
want to put it at the back of their minds, they are sick of it,'' bar manager
Duncan Crossar, 30, explained.
Some residents
admit they will watch the proceedings -- albeit with a healthy dose of
cynicism. ``We have not got our hopes too high. It may have more to do
with the murky waters of geopolitics than justice,'' said David Wilson,
a schoolteacher. ``I'm glad there will be a trial for the (sake of the)
families. But these two guys are pawns, the fall guys. There are much bigger
players behind this,'' said Gordon Smith, a retired local official. ``I
don't think we'll ever know who was behind it,'' he added.
Beneath its
cynical shell, Lockerbie cannot forget the unimaginable horrors of the
wintry night just before Christmas when flaming wreckage and mangled bodies
rained down from 31,000 feet (9,500 meters) in the sky. Hotel managers
Norman and Sheila Tindal used to lie to strangers when asked where they
were from in years after the disaster to avoid the questions that inevitably
followed. ``If it had been a natural disaster, it would have been forgotten
by now. With this, it never goes away,'' she said.
Many here suffer
from nightmares when significant dates come round -- especially the recent
10th anniversary that reopened old wounds for some. ``A lot of people
said the 10th anniversary was their chance to draw a line and move on.
We want to do that, we want to be left alone,'' said Donald Bogey, a town
official who helped set up makeshift mortuaries after the crash.
Most in Lockerbie
welcome a trial only for the sake of the mainly American families, many
of whom made lifelong friends in a town that shared in their grief. But
as Tindal said: ``The trial's fine. It doesn't bring the people back, though,
does it?''
Lockerbie:
a town in pain
From:
THE
SCOTSMAN 06/04/99:
Last night,
Steven Flannigan, 26, who was orphaned when his parents died in their home
in Sherwood Crescent, where the houses of 11 people were destroyed, refused
to comment on the handover. However, his girlfriend, Lisa Gregory, 30,
the mother of his 19-month-old son, Luke, said: "Steven never discusses
the disaster any more. Despite being very placid, he gets incredibly angry
if he is forced into the spotlight. Other people have been very active
in this political process, trying to bring these two men to trail but,
for people like Steven, regaining his life was the most important thing."
Marjorie McQueen,
the councillor for the town of Lockerbie, said: "There have been so many
false dawns when the release of the suspects for trial was imminent. People
here can hardly believe it has finally happened. The town has not been
involved in the legal process but we are delighted for Dr [Jim] Swire and
the other campaigners and families who have worked tirelessly to see this
day."
For as long
as the trial goes on, the residents of Lockerbie will be in the public
spotlight. Mrs McQueen said: "The town is very tired of all the attention.
I don't think the trial will be quick, but if you've been waiting for truth
and justice for a decade another year or two won't make any difference."
The media attention
focused on Lockerbie during the tenth anniversary of the disaster last
December was particularly difficult for residents. In addition, many relatives
of victims in the United States made a pilgrimage to the town to visit
its Garden of Remembrance.
Carra Brown,
a schoolteacher who lives in Sherwood Crescent, insisted that the town
had moved on. She said: "I hope the trial won't have a huge effect on us.
People still visit here occasionally but, despite its terrible history,
this is a quiet street with nothing to indicate what happened."
Maxwell Kerr,
62, said: "People want to put it behind them, without ever forgetting what
happened. It's fantastic news that the hard work of people like Jim Swire,
in Britain, and Bert Ammerman, in America, has paid off. We all want answers
and we want to know why this took place at all.
"Every time
there is a new development, people in Lockerbie go over and over again
what we saw that terrible night and it all comes back. But this, finally,
could be the end."
Preparing the upcoming trial
For direct news from Camp Zeist
Airbase, and for in-dept coverage of the legal and procedural aspects,
please go to the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Trial Website. Click link below.
For updated news at the trial in Zeist, what went on etc.etc., please
go to above Lockerbie Trial Website.
**** more to come *** updating around the hour!