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Libya Accepts Responsibility for Lockerbie
Aired August 15, 2003 - 14:41 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, BREAKING NEWS: This bit of news just coming into CNN. We're told that Libya is expected to accept responsibility, today, for the Lockerbie bombing, this is according to a U.S. official.
I'm sure you remember these pictures of when this took place. U.S. officials had said that they hoped Libya would deliver a letter to the U.N. Security Council today. And it looks like that Libya will deliver that letter accepting responsibility for this Lockerbie bombing. We are told that could possibly be delivered today.
You'll remember the 1988 bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people.
But it was unclear whether it could do so given the power outage. We're talking about the decision coming forward, today. Didn't know if it was going to happen due to that power outage in New York. We're talking about a $2.7 billion bombing settlement here, over the Lockerbie bombing. Let's bring our Jim Walsh back in.
Jim, I'm glad you didn't leave the bureau in Boston.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Almost, I almost got out the door.
PHILLIPS: Yeah. We appreciate you coming back. We couldn't have a better person to come back and talk about this. It's perfect timing. What do you think? This was pretty much expected, wasn't it, that Libya would do this?
Well, in some ways they've done so in a de facto way. They've accepted responsibility. You'll remember at first they denied any responsibility. Then they were reluctant to hand over the two Libyan operatives who were identified by international police as being responsible for the bombing. Then eventually they gave them up, they went on trial.
Now we're reaching the end of the circle and they're coming out and saying and taking responsibility. I think that's a good and important development. It may change U.S. policy despite the recent actions the U.S. was reluctant to take them off the sanctions list. That my affect that.
But more importantly, it helps bring an end to this chapter because even with the two operatives having been turned over to police, there was still speculation in some quarters about who was responsible. Was it not the Libyans, was it someone else? I think this pretty much makes it clear that it was Libya.
PHILLIPS: Now, correct me if I'm wrong, France somehow got involved here, right? France was talking with Libya, possibly trying to persuade them. Otherwise, remind me of that.
WALSH: That's right. This was -- earlier, this looked like it the train was out of the station and some resolution was going to be completed this week, that the international community was going to accept Libya's culpability and the action it had taken to redress its guilt. And at the last minute French diplomats intervened and were trying what appears to be set up some sort of side deal.
But I think this latest development probably pushes that aside and this hopefully brings an end to this very, very ugly and bitter chapter.
PHILLIPS: So, if indeed Libya does comes forward -- we are seeing it's crossing the wires -- that it is supposed to happen, come out publicly and accept responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. What does that mean to this $2.7 billion Lockerbie bombing settlement? What happens to that?
WALSH: That's a good question. I don't have a precise answer to that. You know, it's good that you raise that though, because first there is a set of legal issues; international and domestic legal issues about who is responsible and who will pay.
But the other issue that this raises, Kyra, is the families, the families of the victims. It brings closure to this issue not only in terms of public policy. But I think it will really help bring closure to the victims and their families who have suffered so many years and wondering what was going to happen, would there be justice? Would someone stand up and take responsibility.
I think perhaps, that's the biggest development today is for the families of the victims that they can close the book on this chapter.
PHILLIPS: Jim Walsh, one of our experts on terrorism. Thank you so much.
WALSH: Thank you, Kyra.
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 15, 2003 - 14:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, BREAKING NEWS: This bit of news just coming into CNN. We're told that Libya is expected to accept responsibility, today, for the Lockerbie bombing, this is according to a U.S. official.
I'm sure you remember these pictures of when this took place. U.S. officials had said that they hoped Libya would deliver a letter to the U.N. Security Council today. And it looks like that Libya will deliver that letter accepting responsibility for this Lockerbie bombing. We are told that could possibly be delivered today.
You'll remember the 1988 bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people.
But it was unclear whether it could do so given the power outage. We're talking about the decision coming forward, today. Didn't know if it was going to happen due to that power outage in New York. We're talking about a $2.7 billion bombing settlement here, over the Lockerbie bombing. Let's bring our Jim Walsh back in.
Jim, I'm glad you didn't leave the bureau in Boston.
JIM WALSH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Almost, I almost got out the door.
PHILLIPS: Yeah. We appreciate you coming back. We couldn't have a better person to come back and talk about this. It's perfect timing. What do you think? This was pretty much expected, wasn't it, that Libya would do this?
Well, in some ways they've done so in a de facto way. They've accepted responsibility. You'll remember at first they denied any responsibility. Then they were reluctant to hand over the two Libyan operatives who were identified by international police as being responsible for the bombing. Then eventually they gave them up, they went on trial.
Now we're reaching the end of the circle and they're coming out and saying and taking responsibility. I think that's a good and important development. It may change U.S. policy despite the recent actions the U.S. was reluctant to take them off the sanctions list. That my affect that.
But more importantly, it helps bring an end to this chapter because even with the two operatives having been turned over to police, there was still speculation in some quarters about who was responsible. Was it not the Libyans, was it someone else? I think this pretty much makes it clear that it was Libya.
PHILLIPS: Now, correct me if I'm wrong, France somehow got involved here, right? France was talking with Libya, possibly trying to persuade them. Otherwise, remind me of that.
WALSH: That's right. This was -- earlier, this looked like it the train was out of the station and some resolution was going to be completed this week, that the international community was going to accept Libya's culpability and the action it had taken to redress its guilt. And at the last minute French diplomats intervened and were trying what appears to be set up some sort of side deal.
But I think this latest development probably pushes that aside and this hopefully brings an end to this very, very ugly and bitter chapter.
PHILLIPS: So, if indeed Libya does comes forward -- we are seeing it's crossing the wires -- that it is supposed to happen, come out publicly and accept responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing. What does that mean to this $2.7 billion Lockerbie bombing settlement? What happens to that?
WALSH: That's a good question. I don't have a precise answer to that. You know, it's good that you raise that though, because first there is a set of legal issues; international and domestic legal issues about who is responsible and who will pay.
But the other issue that this raises, Kyra, is the families, the families of the victims. It brings closure to this issue not only in terms of public policy. But I think it will really help bring closure to the victims and their families who have suffered so many years and wondering what was going to happen, would there be justice? Would someone stand up and take responsibility.
I think perhaps, that's the biggest development today is for the families of the victims that they can close the book on this chapter.
PHILLIPS: Jim Walsh, one of our experts on terrorism. Thank you so much.
WALSH: Thank you, Kyra.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
