Lockerbie disaster 25 years on: tributes paid to victims
The victims of the Lockerbie plane bombing are being remembered on the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.
Wreaths have been laid by the families of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing.
A memorial service has taken place in the town in southern Scotland, attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community.
Services will also take place in London and in the United States, where most of the 270 victims were from.
Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, were among those who took part in the memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony at Dryfesdale Cemetery.
The service was led by the Rev John MacLeod, while readings and prayers were given by Major Kingsley Layton, commanding officer at Lockerbie Corps, the Salvation Army, and Lord Lieutenant Jean Tulloch, representing the Queen.
‘The heaviest of hearts’
US government representative Craig Lynes said: “We gather today to remember each of the lives that were lost in this tragic event of December 21, 1988.
“Families, friends, it is you who bear the heaviest of hearts. While our words can do little to repair the damage caused by this act of terrorism, we offer them with hope.
“We offer these words as a tribute to the 270 lives that were cut short that evening, we offer them as a way to help carry their lives forward as we continue ours.
“Your ability to move on from this incident to create your own families, yet remember the loved ones lost, is an encouragement to those who witness your tenacity.
“The comfort and reassurance you have given each other over the years is an inspiration to anyone who has known such loss.
“From the callous and the cowardly acts committed throughout history by those who attempt to strike terror in our hearts and minds, comes the resolve and strength to continue to fight and prevent organisations and individuals from committing such atrocities.
“We stand together united in our search for justice.”
‘Never forget inhumanity’
Speaking just before the service, Lord Wallace told BBC news: “There are families who suffered a huge loss at the time, and it changed their lives forever. I don’t think we should ever forget what man’s inhumanity to man does.
“I saw the signs of a community that was trying to build on the bonds of community. I think they have taken tremendous strides to ensure that real sense of community is here.”
Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing everyone on board and 11 people on the ground.
Scotland Office minister David Mundell and Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland, will attend a memorial event at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will join Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Right Reverend Lorna Hood at a service in Westminster Abbey.
Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will attend an evening service at Dryfesdale Church in Lockerbie.
Mr Salmond said: “On this 25-year anniversary, and as the country prepares once more to relive the harrowing events of that terrible night, it is important that we remember that the pain and suffering of the families and friends of those who died has endured since that winter night in 1988.”
‘Terrorism will never prevail’
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional; for the fortitude and resilience you have shown; for your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.
“And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope.”
Speaking on behalf of the Scottish prosecution service, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland and solicitor general Lesley Thomson said: “Saturday is a time to remember those who lost their lives on December 21 1988 and the impact it had on so many lives then and since that tragic night.
“On behalf of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, our message is simple: Always remembered, never forgotten; forever in our hearts.”
Only one man, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was convicted of the bombing. He was found guilty in January 2001 and given a life sentence. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.
Mr MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year.
On Friday, Channel 4 News exclusively reported that new documents reveal that both high-level Syrian officials and the CIA independently stated that a Syrian-based Palestinian group, not Libya, was responsible for the Lockerbie bombing.
Despite the guilty verdict and Megrahi’s decision to drop a subsequent appeal against conviction, politicians, campaigners and families of victims are still dealing with the impact, with some of the British relatives considering another appeal against his conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.