With suspect in custody, spotlight returns to 1988 bombing

AP ^ | Dec 11 | By ADAM GELLER

[RandFan]

The announcement Sunday that a Libyan man suspected in the 1988 bombing of a passenger jet has been taken into U.S. custody put the spotlight back on the notorious terrorist attack and longstanding efforts to pursue those responsible.

The suspect, Abu Agela Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, is accused of building the bomb that destroyed a Pam Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. The attack killed all 259 people aboard the plane and 11 on the ground. The majority of those killed were Americans.

Thirty-four years later, the public’s memories of the attack have largely faded, despite developments in the case that have intermittently returned it to the headlines. Here’s a look back:

HOW DID THE LOCKERBIE ATTACK HAPPEN?

On Dec. 21, 1988, a bomb planted aboard Pam Am Flight 103 exploded less than half an hour after the jet departed London’s Heathrow airport, bound for New York.

The attack destroyed the jet, which was carrying citizens of 21 countries. Among the victims were 190 Americans. They included 35 students from Syracuse University in upstate New York who were flying home after a semester abroad. To this day, the bombing remains the deadliest terrorist attack ever carried out on British soil.

Investigators soon tied the bombing to Libya, whose government had engaged in long-running hostilities with the U.S. and other Western governments. About two years before the attack, Libya was blamed for the bombing of a Berlin disco that killed three, including two U.S. soldiers, and injured dozens of others.

WHO WAS HELD RESPONSIBLE?

In 1991, the U.S. charged two Libyan intelligence officers with planting the bomb aboard the jet. But the country’s leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, refused to turn them over. After long negotiations, Libya agreed in 1999 to surrender them

[RandFan]

A terrible terrorist attack in '88. I was only a child but followed events in the 90's. I was never convinced Abdel al-Megrahi did it despite the conviction so interesting development this.

It's all still a mystery, isn't it?

[100%FEDUP]

My spidey sense tells me XiBiden is setting up another one sided trade!

[Mears]

I remember every minute of that day….we lost a neighborhood young lady,a college student.

.

[RandFan]

Sorry to hear that.

I hope justice is done with this latest development

The two guys they gave up in 1999 I’m not sure were guilty of this heinous act.

I’d love to hear what others think.

[Macho MAGA Man]

The actor Larry Tate who played on the TV show Bewitched lost his son on the flight.

[farmguy]

Has joe provided him with a green card yet?

Are those even still required?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Brandon needs as many distractions as he can get.

Just sayin.’

[IYAS9YAS]

Back in December 1985, Arrow Air flight 1285R went down in Gander, Newfoundland. To this day there is question about the official report. A buddy of mine from high school lost his older brother on that flight. Immediately after it went down, Islamic Jihad (the same group behind the Beirut barracks bombing, took responsibility for it. They claimed they brought it down with a bomb. I always wondered if it were true. It’s more plausible than the original official explanation of icing. This flight was full of Army personnel coming back from Cairo, Egypt, via Cologne, West Germany.