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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview with Bert Ammerman

Aired August 16, 2003 - 07:14   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Libya is accepting blame for the 1988 Pan Am bombing. Its admission came in a long-awaited letter to the United Nations. The move is part of a $2.7 billion settlement with the families of the 270 people killed in the bombing.
How are the victims' families taking the news? Bert Ammerman lost his brother in the bombing, and he joins us from New York.

Well, good to see you, and thanks for joining us this morning.

A letter of acceptance as well as about $10 million that will go to each of the victims' families. What's your response?

BERT AMMERMAN, BROTHER KILLED ON PAN AM 103: I'm satisfied. It's going to be nearly 15 years this coming December. During that period of time, we've been able to effect changes within our own government and other governments. I never thought we'd see the day that the Libyan government would at least agree to compensate.

And so I'm satisfied, and just still disappointed that Qaddafi will still be in power. But at least, minimally, he will have to pay $1.3 billion to the families.

WHITFIELD: The U.N. may likely lift sanctions against Libya. However, the U.S. is making it very clear that it still feels like Libya has not done enough, has not met the minimum requirement. What are your feelings on that? Should the U.S. take such a stance if the families, such as yours, seem to be satisfied with this settlement?

AMMERMAN: That's going to be a decision made by the government. I do believe that they should stay on the state-sponsored terrorism list, which means that $2 million per family would not be given to us in the next eight months.

Dealing with economic sanctions, I think many families will go either way with it. I just don't know if economic sanctions have any impact on Qaddafi himself. It does on his own citizens. But at least we'll get $1.3 billion, and let our government make that decision in the next eight months.

WHITFIELD: And then there are still some who say that money compensation just isn't enough, that Libya should have done more, perhaps, to help in the investigation, that two suspects have been handed over isn't enough. What's your response, or what kind of offering of assistance to you give to those critics? AMMERMAN: Well, there's no question that Libya is involved in state-sponsored terrorism. The linchpin to this success was at least one of them was found guilty. That made the connection. The question you had asked is, rhetorically, if Hussein had offered us $50 billion, would we have allowed him to stay in power?

Here is Qaddafi, finally, 15 years later, to get back into the international community, is offering $2.7 billion. I believe that this is the best that we can do. We're not going to get Qaddafi out of power. The families now can have some money to either put them in scholarships, memorials, and do with it what they want.

It's a satisfactory, I think, but we will go to our grave with the idea and the visualization of our loved ones being blown out of the air at 31,000 feet. That will never change.

WHITFIELD: For you personally, how does this settlement help you and your family move on?

AMMERMAN: Well, for me, I don't receive any of the compensations, and that's fine. What it does, it -- we formed a family organization in March of '89. If that family organization had not formed, our government, the British government, as well as the Libyan government would have done nothing. Our government and the British government have been reluctant partners throughout this 15- year saga.

Our loved ones didn't die in vain. We've been able to help American citizens with the State Department. They do help citizens overseas now. We got the Aviation Security Act of 1990 passed.

I think there were some positives that came out of this senseless tragedy.

WHITFIELD: And quickly, what's your understanding of the timeline as to when any of these families would receive this compensation?

AMMERMAN: Well, we got the French giving us a problem, and I just never get amazed, cease to be amazed at their stupidity. They're threatening to veto this on either Monday or Tuesday. I was told last night by the State Department that it'll either be Monday or Tuesday that it'll go to the Security Council.

If the Security Council lifts the sanctions, then within a period of three to four weeks, the family members could begin to see some of the money.

WHITFIELD: All right. The letter a start, but certainly the saga is far from over. Thanks very much, Bert Ammerman. Thanks for joining us this morning.

AMMERMAN: Thank you.

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 August 16, 2003 - 07:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Libya is accepting blame for the 1988 Pan Am bombing. Its admission came in a long-awaited letter to the United Nations. The move is part of a $2.7 billion settlement with the families of the 270 people killed in the bombing.
How are the victims' families taking the news? Bert Ammerman lost his brother in the bombing, and he joins us from New York.

Well, good to see you, and thanks for joining us this morning.

A letter of acceptance as well as about $10 million that will go to each of the victims' families. What's your response?

BERT AMMERMAN, BROTHER KILLED ON PAN AM 103: I'm satisfied. It's going to be nearly 15 years this coming December. During that period of time, we've been able to effect changes within our own government and other governments. I never thought we'd see the day that the Libyan government would at least agree to compensate.

And so I'm satisfied, and just still disappointed that Qaddafi will still be in power. But at least, minimally, he will have to pay $1.3 billion to the families.

WHITFIELD: The U.N. may likely lift sanctions against Libya. However, the U.S. is making it very clear that it still feels like Libya has not done enough, has not met the minimum requirement. What are your feelings on that? Should the U.S. take such a stance if the families, such as yours, seem to be satisfied with this settlement?

AMMERMAN: That's going to be a decision made by the government. I do believe that they should stay on the state-sponsored terrorism list, which means that $2 million per family would not be given to us in the next eight months.

Dealing with economic sanctions, I think many families will go either way with it. I just don't know if economic sanctions have any impact on Qaddafi himself. It does on his own citizens. But at least we'll get $1.3 billion, and let our government make that decision in the next eight months.

WHITFIELD: And then there are still some who say that money compensation just isn't enough, that Libya should have done more, perhaps, to help in the investigation, that two suspects have been handed over isn't enough. What's your response, or what kind of offering of assistance to you give to those critics? AMMERMAN: Well, there's no question that Libya is involved in state-sponsored terrorism. The linchpin to this success was at least one of them was found guilty. That made the connection. The question you had asked is, rhetorically, if Hussein had offered us $50 billion, would we have allowed him to stay in power?

Here is Qaddafi, finally, 15 years later, to get back into the international community, is offering $2.7 billion. I believe that this is the best that we can do. We're not going to get Qaddafi out of power. The families now can have some money to either put them in scholarships, memorials, and do with it what they want.

It's a satisfactory, I think, but we will go to our grave with the idea and the visualization of our loved ones being blown out of the air at 31,000 feet. That will never change.

WHITFIELD: For you personally, how does this settlement help you and your family move on?

AMMERMAN: Well, for me, I don't receive any of the compensations, and that's fine. What it does, it -- we formed a family organization in March of '89. If that family organization had not formed, our government, the British government, as well as the Libyan government would have done nothing. Our government and the British government have been reluctant partners throughout this 15- year saga.

Our loved ones didn't die in vain. We've been able to help American citizens with the State Department. They do help citizens overseas now. We got the Aviation Security Act of 1990 passed.

I think there were some positives that came out of this senseless tragedy.

WHITFIELD: And quickly, what's your understanding of the timeline as to when any of these families would receive this compensation?

AMMERMAN: Well, we got the French giving us a problem, and I just never get amazed, cease to be amazed at their stupidity. They're threatening to veto this on either Monday or Tuesday. I was told last night by the State Department that it'll either be Monday or Tuesday that it'll go to the Security Council.

If the Security Council lifts the sanctions, then within a period of three to four weeks, the family members could begin to see some of the money.

WHITFIELD: All right. The letter a start, but certainly the saga is far from over. Thanks very much, Bert Ammerman. Thanks for joining us this morning.

AMMERMAN: Thank you.

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