The Lockerbie Incident: The Connection Between the British Lockerbie, Pan Am Flight 103, and Libya, and the Question of Iranian Involvement
The Incident Begins
On December 21, 1988, a Pan Am Boeing 747 passenger plane, en route from Frankfurt, Germany, to New York, with a layover at London's Heathrow Airport, exploded over the Scottish village of Lockerbie. The flight, which was carrying 259 passengers, including the flight crew, and had safely arrived at Heathrow, was in the air for only 35 minutes after leaving London when it exploded.
The explosion destroyed more than 21 homes in Lockerbie and resulted in the deaths of 11 people on the ground, in addition to all the passengers on the plane. The total number of victims in the Lockerbie case was 270, the majority of whom were American citizens.
An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the explosion and to locate the black box from the aircraft. With British and American cooperation, more than 11,000 pieces of the plane were gathered and reassembled to aid the investigation. It was discovered that the plane had been carrying a primitive bomb connected to a radio in one of the passengers' bags. The bomb exploded upon receiving the first radio signal.
Given the rigorous screening procedures for baggage, questions arose about how the bomb had made it onto the plane and bypassed all these security measures.
The Iranian Incident
Six months prior to the Lockerbie incident, the United States had shot down an Iranian civilian aircraft over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 passengers and crew members. The U.S. stated that it was an accidental incident, which positioned Iran as a potential adversary and suspect in the Lockerbie case.
Libya was also implicated in the Lockerbie case due to the antagonistic relationship between Muammar Gaddafi and the United States. At that time, Gaddafi was supporting various Palestinian militant operations against countries supporting Israeli occupation, including the "Abu Nidal Organization" and many others with unlimited financial support. Notable operations carried out by this group included the TWF operation, the Rome airport attacks, and the Vienna airport attacks.
In response to Gaddafi’s actions, the U.S. conducted military maneuvers over the Gulf of Sirte in Libya. Gaddafi retaliated by bombing a nightclub in Germany and targeting American soldiers.
Libya's Alleged Role in Lockerbie
On April 14, 1991, the U.S. formally accused Libya of being behind the Lockerbie incident, implicating two individuals from a Libyan airline in Malta: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah. Given the international nature of the case involving the U.S., Germany, and the UK, those found guilty were considered perpetrators of international terrorism.
|
| An image showing the accused in the Lockerbie case along with the Gulf of Sirte on a map of Libya |
Muammar Gaddafi rejected the accusation and refused to extradite the suspects, demanding evidence for the claims. The U.S. did not comply, and Gaddafi maintained his stance.
On March 31, 1992, an economic and air blockade was imposed on Libya, severely restricting trade except for Libyan oil. After seven years of enduring this blockade, during which Libya lost over $33 billion, Gaddafi agreed to surrender the suspects through mediation by Saudi Arabia and South Africa, with the trial to be held in a neutral country. The Netherlands was chosen for the trial.
The Lockerbie trial was conducted publicly and broadcast live on television, with sessions lasting two years. During the trial, the air and economic sanctions against Libya were lifted. On January 31, 2001, the final verdict was delivered: Lamin Khalifah Fhimah was acquitted, and Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted based on the testimony of a merchant who had sold al-Megrahi a pair of jeans similar to those found in the bomb’s suitcase.
Al-Megrahi was sentenced to life imprisonment. Consequently, Libya was compelled to accept responsibility for the incident in 2003 and paid $10 million in compensation for each victim, totaling approximately $2.7 billion. During these events, Gaddafi also surrendered Libya's nuclear weapons program equipment.
Al-Megrahi was released on health grounds in 2009 and passed away in 2012.
The True Nature of the Incident
On March 11, 2014, Al Jazeera English aired a shocking documentary titled "Lockerbie: What Really Happened?" which claimed Libya's innocence and suggested that Iran was the true orchestrator of the operation. The documentary was based on leaked U.S. intelligence documents and the testimonies of investigators.
Among the testimonies were those of Iranian intelligence agent Abu Qasem Mesbahi and former CIA officer Robert Baer.
the decision to implicate Libya was made because it was politically convenient at the time. Gaddafi was a widely disliked figure, making it easier to pin the blame on Libya.According to Robert Baer, a former CIA officer with the United States
Iran had chosen the method of retaliation and the flight number to ensure that the number of passengers on the plane matched the number of passengers on the Iranian plane shot down by the U.S.
According to Abu Qasem Mesbahi, an Iranian intelligence agent
In November 2021, the U.S. requested Libya to extradite a third suspect, Abu Agila Mohammed Masoud, accusing him of being the bomb maker in the Lockerbie case.