Part 114 – OCTOBER 24 1988
"My only further thought from the period is that Colonel Gadafy's Libya in the 80s was a friendless whipping boy for US anger, impotence and frustration about the Arab world. […] Syria, far guiltier of anti-American actions, as I recall, was treated more leniently for reasons of state…" - Michael White's politics blog on The Guardian's website [1], Oct. 28 2008
Monday Oct. 24 1988, Neuss −− Early in the morning, Dalkamoni, Khreesat and Ahmed Abassi go shopping in Neuss.
Back to the flat, Khreesat works several hours on the bombs. Then, around 2.00 p.m., he decides to take a break and enjoys a shower.
While in the shower, Dalkamoni knocked on the door and tells him that he is leaving FOR Frankfurt. After getting out of the shower, Khreesat went back to work on the IEDs. At this time, Khreesat notices that the fifth device is no longer in the workroom.
But Khreesat is facing another urgent problem. He is very concerned about his upcoming meeting with Abu Elias. He knows that Elias is knowledgable about bombs and this forces him to make functional IEDs contrary to the instructions he received from his handlers in Jordan.
Khreesat keeps working on the IEDs until late in the evening. Before going to sleep, he calls someone in Amman to tell him that he needs 2 or 3 days to finish the job.
Back to the Present
Yesterday, Dr Swire sent me his views regarding the reports that Abu Nidal was a spy for US Intelligence.
This may well be deeply significant. It is also worth remembering that Abu Talb was Egyptian by birth, and also associated with the PFLP-GC.
I do not know how to tell true from false amongst conspiracy theories. Does anyone? What I do know relative to allegation that America knew what was coming and allowed it to happen is this:
1. There was indeed a prior warning on the US Moscow embassy noticeboard.
2. South Africans (Pik Botha etc) did indeed transfer to an earlier flight at the last moment. Several well informed Americans did likewise.
3. Lord Parkinson did indeed get handbagged by Thatcher when he tried to allow us an inquiry. Every other UK disaster has had inquiries. Why is Lockerbie the outstanding exception?
4.My daughter Flora was just one of a number on that flight who had been told that there were no seats left across the pond, then within 48 hours of the flight suddenly there were seats on PA103 which was only 2/3 full when it did leave.
5. This concept that the fate of that aircraft was known to some in the West but not others that night is one of the main factors that enrages us about the whole terrible business and drives my campaigning. Was my daughter treated as expendable in someone's game of politics? We did not nurture her and love her for 24 years to have her treated so. It doesn't come much worse than that.
It is also worth remembering that Thatcher in 'the Downing Street Years' [Page 449](1993) claimed credit for preventing Libya from mounting any further major terrorist attacks, following her support for the USAF bombing of Tripoli in 1986.
There had been she wrote "a marked decline in Libyan-sponsored terrorism in succeding years". That publication date is 2 years after her government joined the US in blaming the atrocity on Libya, by issuing the indictments against the 2 Libyans.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Fate of Lockerbie bomber is now in hands of SNP minister
