December 21, 1988
Pan Am flight 103
While I don’t remember what I was doing on that day, I do remember the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the immediate aftermath. I also remember when I was in law school in the late 90′s, the resulting court case was used to illustrate to us the complicated nature of the intersection of US and international law and how difficult it was to determine jurisdiction and which nation’s laws would be applied in which circumstances.
Today, Secretary Clinton released a statement about the State Department’s disappointment with the Scottish authorities’ decision to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi:
The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Scottish Executive to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which took the lives of 270 persons, including 189 Americans. We have continued to communicate our long-standing position to UK government officials and Scottish authorities that Megrahi should serve out the entirety of his sentence in Scotland. Today, we remember those whose lives were lost on December 21, 1988 and we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who live each day with the loss of their loved ones due to this heinous crime.
More on this from CNN:
Impact crater left by Pan Am 103
The man convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing Pan Am flight 103 out of the sky above the Scottish town of Lockerbie two decades ago was on his way home to Libya on Thursday after authorities set him free.
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi covers his face as he boards a plane.Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi covers his face as he boards a plane.
Click to view previous image
1 of 3
Click to view next imageAbdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, 57, is suffering terminal prostate cancer and has three months to live. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill ordered al Megrahi’s release on compassionate grounds, saying he will be “going home to die.”
“Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available,” MacAskill said. “Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown.”
The White House, which has urged Britain to keep al Megrahi behind bars, said it “deeply regrets” the decision.
MacAskill said he accepted al Megrahi’s 2001 conviction for the Lockerbie bombing, the worst terrorist atrocity ever committed on UK soil. He also said he supported a severe sentence. But he said al Megrahi’s lack of compassion for his 270 victims should not be a reason for Scotland to deny compassion to him…
[snip]
Families of the Lockerbie victims have been sharply divided whether al Megrahi should be ever be released.
Susan Cohen, who lost her 20-year-old daughter, was adamant about her position, calling al Megrahi a “mass murderer” and his release “appalling.” Video Watch Cohen condemn the release ยป
“Are we so devastatingly weak now, have we lost all our moral fiber that you can say that Megrahi can be released from prison for a compassionate release? Where was his compassion for my daughter? Where was his compassion for all those people?” Cohen told American Morning.
Bert Ammerman, whose brother died in the bombing, called al Megrahi’s release “ludicrous.”
“First of all, he got his compassionate release when he got life imprisonment and not capital punishment, which Scotland doesn’t have,” Ammerman told CNN. He should have remained in prison, then after his death, his body could have been returned to Libya, he said.
“Two, he’s going to be going back, even if he has terminal cancer, as a hero and he’s going to be received as a hero in Libya,” Ammerman said.
“Three, let’s cut through all this information. He’s being released because big business in the United States, Great Britain want the oil in Libya, and that’s what’s driving this whole wagon,” he added.
Al Megrahi was convicted in 2001 after the prosecution argued he had placed the bomb, hidden in a suitcase, on a flight from Malta to Frankfurt, Germany. There, prosecutors said, the bomb was transferred onto the Pan Am plane that went first to London’s Heathrow Airport and then took off for New York.
Another man — Al-Amin Khalifa Fahima — was also tried in the bombing but was acquitted.
The prosecution maintained al Megrahi, who worked at Malta’s Luqa Airport, was an agent for the Libyan intelligence services and had been seen buying clothes that were in the suitcase that contained the bomb.
Libya has formally accepted responsibility for the bombing and has compensated the families, though Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi later denied any culpability.
Al Megrahi was diagnosed in September 2008 with terminal prostate cancer, and medical officials have said his condition is rapidly deteriorating, MacAskill said. He said he declined an option to free al Megrahi and allow him to live in Scotland after senior police officers cited the severe security implications…
To view this animated banner you need to have Flash Player 9 or newer installed and JavaScript enabled. This 
Of all the Lockerbie disaster victims, why is it only the americans display such ignorance and indignance towards the release of this man ? He did not act alone, how is it fair that he rots in jail while the others are free ? The trial and the evidence against him where deeply flawed, much like the US justice system. All the Scottish victims have the magnanimity and intelligence and grace to understand that the truth has never come out and that Iran and Syria where the sponsors, NOT libya. The man was a classic scapegoat. Why aren’t they angry at the PAN-AM executives and workers who, against regulations at the time, let an unaccompanied bag onto the plane. Had PAN-AM been following correct procedure, the bad with the bomb would never have made it onto the plane in the first place. The real criminlas in this case are PAN-AM not Libya. It’s ok for americans to cause death to people in other parts of the world for nothing and not care, so why should we care about a few dead americans ? How many innocent people has america killed spnosoring terror in south america via the CIA ? How many people died in Vietnam fighting some mythical red threat ? How many innocent vietnamese died because of american war crimes and terror ? Remember the americans used chemical weapons in Vietnam that to this day cause gross birth deformaties to this day ? Half a million innocent people have died in Iraq to avenge 3000 shitty american lives. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THEM. You got what you deserved. I can’t wait to see an american city nuked by the jihadists. It will happen. I’m sorry Kruschev never nuked you mother fuckers off the face of the planet back in 1962 when he had the chance. You’re so full of your own bullshit, you american scum, that you think you know everything. Apparently there where only “20 meduim rance ICBM’s in some state of construction” when in fact there where over 160 OPERATIONAL missiles ready to go. I would have used them. You ignorant arrogant scum deserve to die, all of you.
Soviet…..go shove a haggis up your low road!
Wow, you have great English. You must be such a cultured person, considering that you come from Russia.
They should add you to the list of people to watch and cap your ass the second you jaywalk. Just wanted to point out that now all those terrorists that may have hesitated before due to the death penalty or life in prison, now have a renewed hope for being able to kill so many more innocent people. Way to go UK. Hope its’s not the US, it should be you and ANYONE else who feels sympathy for any reson for the hundreds now that will take the advise of this man.Should have killed him.
We used to treat prisoners at NYU radiation oncology. They would be sent by ambulance with police escort to our department from lock up in Bellevue Hospital. Some were there on a prisoner medical program from as far as Atlanta. Scotish Cancer care is first rate. The judge is full of shit. The patient looked pretty good walking up the ramp to his jet craft. Most people with 12 weeks left to live don’t look that good.
If he’s doing fine he should do the time. If he dies within 12 weeks it is because of bad care back home.
Like deep throat said: follow the money….
Whew, soviet…how to address such indiscrimnate hatred?
By your reasoning, if all of us mother-f***ing arrogant American scum are personally responsible for every death attributed to our government around the world and throughout all time, then I suppose it follows that we should hold YOU personally responsible for the tens of millions of deaths attributed to one of the most heinous mass murderers in history: Stalin.
But I don’t.
Obama says: “Al-megrahi cant be welcomed as a hero in Libya.” Really? He really thinks he is the President of the World. What the people of Libya chose to do is their right, and Obama has no fucking right to tell the world what to do. Now, nobody feels the same anger and outrage here when hundreds and thousands of American war veterans returned from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, after the murder – yes it is murder, whatever you call it as Operation Bullshit – to rousing hero’s welcome. Terrorism is not just Muslims blowing up planes. It is very much fighter planes bombing thousands of civilans on the ground below in all the unjust wars that the US has been waging. So, fuck you – USA, and fuck you Obama. I genuine feel sorry for the victim’s kin, and their sorrow is unimaginable, but I admire greatly the courage and convictions of the Scottish Justice Minister.
Here’s hoping that I get a video of you getting 45 cents between your eyes and it would be so sweet if I could do it personally to you and everyone you care about. Take care when you enter the gates of hell as you will never see Allah, God or the pagan Mohomed. BTW – Americans already screwed your virgins, that’s why none are waiting for any of you.
Ahhhhh, poor little terrorist. What is the matter with you people???? Everyone should have sympathy for this guy. It wasn’t his fault that he placed a bomb in a suitcase that was later placed on the Pan Am flight. It wasn’t his fault that he murdered 270 innocent people that never even got the chance to say good bye to their loved ones. I havn’t been this mad since 9-11. This guy should have spent the rest of his days behind bars. This is a slap in the face for all the families that lost loved ones on that tragic day. If your family was murdered, would you want the killer to go free after only serving 8 years in prison? I would like to apologize to all the victims of this tragedy. We, the free people of the world let you down. I am so very sorry, please forgive us.
A concerned member of the human race.
The hatred in Soviet’s comment really speaks for itself, to say nothing of his/her backwards logic.
Another way of showing the Muslam world that we have no backbone. What were these people thinking. He helped murder innocent people. Well, the liberal bet wetting mind-set is now entering all countries. May he find the reward God has prepared for him. God be with the families of this horrible tradegy. Know that he will be judged by higher court very soon.
It’s one thing to have released a convicted terrorist after eight whole years behind bars — hm, that’s about 11 days for every person killed in that tragedy? — but it’s quite another simply to hand over to tie a ribbon around a PR gift for Muammar al-Gaddafi who already has numerous events planned to celebrate this diplomatic “coup,” in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of his rise to power. Nice going, Scotland.
One word: Oil.
Ok, a few more words: I haven’t surfed the news websites yet but if I were Clinton or Obama, I would be on the phone with Col. Gaddafi and be complaining loudly *if* there are any OFFICIAL “welcome home” celebrations for this particular terrorist.
I think that what makes this pretty shameful is that based on one thing I read, Megrahi at his trial and afterwards showed no remorse for what he did- I don’t know about Scottish law, but that is a HUGE part of sentencing, parole and even commuting sentences here in the US and while I don’t know the black and white letter law regarding ‘compassionate grounds’ but it does seem ironic that the Scottish courts would show so much “compassion” to him despite his refusal to show any towards his victims, even after-the-fact.
Also, the nurse in me wonders how his doctors were able to absolutely pin-point that he has just 3 months to live? I’ve had family members die of cancer and while doctors generally NEVER give an absolute time frame, for obvious reasons, the justices in Scotland seemed to take the 3 month time-frame as an almost certainty.
Someone above made reference to how Megrahi doesn’t *look* like he’s dying and I’ll admit that was my initial thought to, although sometimes that’s not always the best standard by which to judge a disease’s potential progression.
Could have been more of a compromise? Could he have been released but under the conditions he a) stay in Scotland and b) be under some sort of “house arrest” with obvious exceptions for family members visiting and going to the hospital?
Yes, a patient of mine with metastatic lung cancer was told she had 3 months to live and lived another 3 1/2 very productive years.
Yes, it’s really unpredictable- I just hope some doctor didn’t say “three months” to help convince the judges he meets the requirements for getting out under compassionate release. Looks can be deceiving but he looks very healthy for someone with only three months to live.
Carolyn & Stacy- I agree with both of you on this.
Lets be honest, there is not all that much Hillary Clinton could have done other than to let Scotland know what the US position on this was, so anyone that blames her needs to be a bit more objective.
Wow, I stand corrected- according to this CNN article Megrahi always maintained his innocence and DID express sympathy for the victims- I bring this up because in my above comment I said the opposite (and I swear I read somewhere he did NOT express remorse at this trial, but I’ll look into that more):
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/21/scotland.lockerbie.bomber/index.html