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CNN Saturday Morning News

Pan AM 103 Families Discuss Settlement Proposal

Aired November 09, 2002 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now in New Jersey, family members of the victims of Pan AM Flight 103 are meeting to discuss a settlement proposal from Libya.
CNN's Jason Bellini is covering that meeting and he joins us live from Newark -- what's up?

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Carol.

As you just said, the families are meeting today to discuss the proposed financial settlement with Libya. As you may recall, 270 people died on that flight, 189 of them were Americans, a number of them American college students. Eleven more people died on the ground in the Scottish hamlet of Lockerbie.

A copy of the proposed settlement agreement obtained by CNN would require Libya to pay $2.7 billion. That's $10 million per family. This deal was negotiated by a team of lawyers representing both the families and the Libyan government. After 14 years, these families still feel the pain of an event that to us seems very distant. Again, it was back in 1988.

Many of them say that they won't find closure until a deal is reached and the government of Libya apologizes.

One major issue on the table is what Libya, the United States and the U.N. would be required to do under this settlement before any of the families would receive their money. After Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing, the $2.7 billion would be transferred to the families in several phases. And several conditions would have to be met under each of those phases. The families would receive some of the money after the United Nations lifted its sanctions. They'd receive more of the money after the United States lifted its sanctions. And then they would get the rest after the United States took Libya off of its list of terrorist countries -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, justice finally coming for those families.

You're right, it was such a long time ago, 1988.

Jason Bellini, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 9, 2002 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now in New Jersey, family members of the victims of Pan AM Flight 103 are meeting to discuss a settlement proposal from Libya.
CNN's Jason Bellini is covering that meeting and he joins us live from Newark -- what's up?

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Carol.

As you just said, the families are meeting today to discuss the proposed financial settlement with Libya. As you may recall, 270 people died on that flight, 189 of them were Americans, a number of them American college students. Eleven more people died on the ground in the Scottish hamlet of Lockerbie.

A copy of the proposed settlement agreement obtained by CNN would require Libya to pay $2.7 billion. That's $10 million per family. This deal was negotiated by a team of lawyers representing both the families and the Libyan government. After 14 years, these families still feel the pain of an event that to us seems very distant. Again, it was back in 1988.

Many of them say that they won't find closure until a deal is reached and the government of Libya apologizes.

One major issue on the table is what Libya, the United States and the U.N. would be required to do under this settlement before any of the families would receive their money. After Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing, the $2.7 billion would be transferred to the families in several phases. And several conditions would have to be met under each of those phases. The families would receive some of the money after the United Nations lifted its sanctions. They'd receive more of the money after the United States lifted its sanctions. And then they would get the rest after the United States took Libya off of its list of terrorist countries -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, justice finally coming for those families.

You're right, it was such a long time ago, 1988.

Jason Bellini, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com