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CNN Live Saturday
Pan Am 103 Victims Family Members Meet in Newark
Aired November 09, 2002 - 18:16 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As the U.S. deals with a perceived threat from Iraq, some Americans haunted by terrorism are struggling to come to terms with Libya. This is the story we tried to tell you about before we had an audio problem. We're going to show it to you now. Basically, family members of those killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, back in 1988. Well, they met in Newark, New Jersey, today. And they shared their concerns about a settlement offer that some of them fear could make them pawns in an international political game. Jason Bellini reports. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their loved ones died 14 years ago, at the hands of terrorists. Only now do they feel that compensation from Libya is a real possibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Libya is as predictable as the changing winds on the desert.
BELLINI: Meeting behind closed doors, the families heard from lawyers who negotiated the deal, telling them to seize this opportunity.
(on camera): The agreement on the table works like this: After Libya accepts responsibility for the bombing, it would place $2.7 billion into an escrow account, to be paid out to the victims families in installments after several conditions are met. The U.N lifting sanctions, the U.S. lifting sanctions, and the U.S. taking Libya off its list of terrorist countries.
(voice-over): As the U.S. moves closer to war with Iraq, families are hearing that Libya is trying to get out from its pariah status. And Moammar Gadhafi is in the mood to make a deal. At the same time the families don't want to find themselves advocating for Libya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not here lobbying to get our government to agree. What we are trying to get our government to do is simply state, have they met your demands that the State Department and the United Nations have put on the Libyan government. If they have, review the facts and make it known.
BELLINI: Libya admitting responsibility is at the top of the list for many families.
(on camera): And are you confident that Libya is prepared to do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, no. Many people are. The hope is that they will.
BELLINI (voice-over): Full responsibility taken by Libya, a moral victory for the families. The millions of dollars in compensation, a punishment to Libya and long overdue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best deal would be my son walking through the door alive, that will never be. So, I feel that we've been through hell and back, and if money makes life easier for some people, I think it's great.
BELLINI: Jason Bellini, CNN, Newark, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 - 18:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As the U.S. deals with a perceived threat from Iraq, some Americans haunted by terrorism are struggling to come to terms with Libya. This is the story we tried to tell you about before we had an audio problem. We're going to show it to you now. Basically, family members of those killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, back in 1988. Well, they met in Newark, New Jersey, today. And they shared their concerns about a settlement offer that some of them fear could make them pawns in an international political game. Jason Bellini reports. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their loved ones died 14 years ago, at the hands of terrorists. Only now do they feel that compensation from Libya is a real possibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Libya is as predictable as the changing winds on the desert.
BELLINI: Meeting behind closed doors, the families heard from lawyers who negotiated the deal, telling them to seize this opportunity.
(on camera): The agreement on the table works like this: After Libya accepts responsibility for the bombing, it would place $2.7 billion into an escrow account, to be paid out to the victims families in installments after several conditions are met. The U.N lifting sanctions, the U.S. lifting sanctions, and the U.S. taking Libya off its list of terrorist countries.
(voice-over): As the U.S. moves closer to war with Iraq, families are hearing that Libya is trying to get out from its pariah status. And Moammar Gadhafi is in the mood to make a deal. At the same time the families don't want to find themselves advocating for Libya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not here lobbying to get our government to agree. What we are trying to get our government to do is simply state, have they met your demands that the State Department and the United Nations have put on the Libyan government. If they have, review the facts and make it known.
BELLINI: Libya admitting responsibility is at the top of the list for many families.
(on camera): And are you confident that Libya is prepared to do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, no. Many people are. The hope is that they will.
BELLINI (voice-over): Full responsibility taken by Libya, a moral victory for the families. The millions of dollars in compensation, a punishment to Libya and long overdue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best deal would be my son walking through the door alive, that will never be. So, I feel that we've been through hell and back, and if money makes life easier for some people, I think it's great.
BELLINI: Jason Bellini, CNN, Newark, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
