Pan Am Flight 103 secrets
70Pan AM 103
Lockerbie
Bernt Carlsson
Bernt Wilmar Carlsson was the Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Commissioner for Namibia from July 1987 until he died on Pan Am Flight 103, which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland on 21 December 1988.
He had convened a meeting in Stockholm between the SWAPOleadership (Sam Nujoma, Hage Geingob and Hidipo Hamutenya), and a delegation of "whites" from Namibia to discuss developments in the independence process.
Namibia's independence had been expected to take place soon after United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 (UNSCR 435) was signed.Although it was agreed on in September 1978, and took 10 years for UNSCR 435 to be implemented. The delay was blamed on Chester Crocker's procrastination, and on President Ronald Reagan's attempt to change the subject to the presence of Cuban forces in Angola, as well as the bias in America's Namibia policy in favour of apartheid South Africa.
Bernt Carlsson, UN Commissioner for Namibia, who pushed for free elections and tried to isolate the racists diplomatically. Carlsson had been Secretary General of the Socialist International, and International Secretary of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. His death was on the Pan American Flight 103 just before Christmas 1988, and before the signing of the Namibia accords in New York.
ACCORDING to a theory, the then South African government was responsible for the sabotage of Flight 103.
A delegation of 22 South Africans, headed by foreign minister, Pik Botha, cancelled a booking on the flight at short notice.There was also a last-minute change of travel plan by the UN Commissioner for Namibia.
Bernt Wilmar Carlsson was the Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Commissioner for Namibia from July 1987 until he died on Pan Am Flight 103, which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland on 21 December 1988.
He had convened a meeting in Stockholm between the SWAPOleadership (Sam Nujoma, Hage Geingob and Hidipo Hamutenya), and a delegation of "whites" from Namibia to discuss developments in the independence process.
Namibia's independence had been expected to take place soon after United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 (UNSCR 435) was signed.Although it was agreed on in September 1978, and took 10 years for UNSCR 435 to be implemented. The delay was blamed on Chester Crocker's procrastination, and on President Ronald Reagan's attempt to change the subject to the presence of Cuban forces in Angola, as well as the bias in America's Namibia policy in favour of apartheid South Africa.
Bernt Carlsson, UN Commissioner for Namibia, who pushed for free elections and tried to isolate the racists diplomatically. Carlsson had been Secretary General of the Socialist International, and International Secretary of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. His death was on the Pan American Flight 103 just before Christmas 1988, and before the signing of the Namibia accords in New York.
ACCORDING to a theory, the then South African government was responsible for the sabotage of Flight 103.
A delegation of 22 South Africans, headed by foreign minister, Pik Botha, cancelled a booking on the flight at short notice.There was also a last-minute change of travel plan by the UN Commissioner for Namibia.
Bernt Carlsson. is alleged by some to have been targeted by the South African military intelligence, having been the architect of Namibian independence.
Instead of flying direct from Brussels to New York, Carlsson was persuaded to stopover in London and join the Pan Am 103 transatlantic flight.
On the day of the bombing, he arrived at Heathrow from Brussels at 11:06 with a booking to travel onward to New York by flight PA 103 at 18:00. Carlsson was met at the airport by Bankole Timothy of De Beers and taken by car to central London.
After the meeting with De Beers, Carlsson was brought back to Heathrow Airport, arriving at about 17:30. His already checked in suitcase would have remained at Heathrow airport for about seven hours, thus providing South African airside-authorised personnel with ample opportunity to substitute it for the bomb suitcase.
That South Africa Airlines were involved in unlawfully switching baggage that day was confirmed by a Pan Am security officer, Michael Jones, at the Lockerbie fatal accident inquiry in October 1990.
Within a week of the death of Bernt Carlsson on flight PA 103, his office safe at the United Nations had allegedly been broken into. And his apartment, which had been sealed by UN security staff, had also apparently been burgled. Neither his girlfriend nor his sister could identify any of his luggage at the property store in Lockerbie.
Pik Botha
On December 22, 1988, Pik Botha signed the tripartite agreement involving Angola, Cuba and South Africa at United Nations headquarters in New York City, which led to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 435, and to South Africa's relinquishing control of Namibia.
On December 21, 1988 Pik Botha, with a 23 strong South African delegation from Johannesburg, was initially booked to travel to the Namibian independence ratification ceremony in New York on Pan Am Flight 103 via London to New York. Instead, the booking was cancelled as he and six delegates took an earlier flight, thereby avoiding the fatal PA 103 crash at Lockerbie, Scotland.
After the meeting with De Beers, Carlsson was brought back to Heathrow Airport, arriving at about 17:30. His already checked in suitcase would have remained at Heathrow airport for about seven hours, thus providing South African airside-authorised personnel with ample opportunity to substitute it for the bomb suitcase.
That South Africa Airlines were involved in unlawfully switching baggage that day was confirmed by a Pan Am security officer, Michael Jones, at the Lockerbie fatal accident inquiry in October 1990.
Within a week of the death of Bernt Carlsson on flight PA 103, his office safe at the United Nations had allegedly been broken into. And his apartment, which had been sealed by UN security staff, had also apparently been burgled. Neither his girlfriend nor his sister could identify any of his luggage at the property store in Lockerbie.
Pik Botha
On December 22, 1988, Pik Botha signed the tripartite agreement involving Angola, Cuba and South Africa at United Nations headquarters in New York City, which led to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 435, and to South Africa's relinquishing control of Namibia.
On December 21, 1988 Pik Botha, with a 23 strong South African delegation from Johannesburg, was initially booked to travel to the Namibian independence ratification ceremony in New York on Pan Am Flight 103 via London to New York. Instead, the booking was cancelled as he and six delegates took an earlier flight, thereby avoiding the fatal PA 103 crash at Lockerbie, Scotland.
Also on this flight was Magnus Malan
Malan was booked to travel on Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York, alos part of the delegation of 23 negotiators to sign an agreement at UN headquarters, where South Africa cedes control of Namibia to the UN, demanded by the Security Council. With short notice, the whole South African delegation cancelled the booking on that flight, which crashed at Lockerbie,
It,now seems inevitable, the Libyan's conviction is overturned on appeal, Libya will be exonerated and a new investigation is going to be required.
Libya took its seat at the UN Security Council in January 2008, there were calls for an immediate United Nations Inquiry into the death of UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Secret Drugs, The Suitcase and the CIA
Libya took its seat at the UN Security Council in January 2008, there were calls for an immediate United Nations Inquiry into the death of UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Secret Drugs, The Suitcase and the CIA
THE CIA is alleged to have set up a protected drug route from Europe to the United States - called Operation Corea - which allowed Syrian drug dealers to ship heroin to the US using Pan Am flights, in exchange for intelligence on Palestinian groups based in Syria. The CIA allegedly protected the suitcases containing the drugs to guard them from searches.
On the day of the bombing, as the theory goes, terrorists exchanged suitcases: one with drugs for one with a bomb.
A more extreme version of this theory is that the CIA knew in advance this exchange would take place but let it happen anyway, because the protected drugs route was a rogue operation, and the American intelligence officers on Pan Am 103 had found out about it, and were on their way to Washington to tell their superiors.
The former version of the protected-suitcase theory was suggested in October 1989 by Juval Aviv, the owner of Interfor Inc, a private investigation company based in New York. Aviv was an ex-Mossad officer and was employed by Pan Am as their lead investigator for the bombing.
His claims provided Pan Am with a credible defence against claims for compensation by relatives of victims, since, if the US government had helped the bomb bypass Pan Am's security, the airline could hardly have been held liable.
Aviv was never interviewed by either the Scottish police or the FBI.
June 10, 2002 Former South African President Nelson Mandela said Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi a Libyan spy convicted in the bombing of a
Pan Am flight 103, was a victim of psychological persecution in prison in Scotland and called for his transfer to a prison in a Muslim country.
After a two-hour visit with Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi Mandela also told reporters conditions in al-Megrahi's cell were "unacceptable" and the prisoner had been "harassed" by other inmates at Barlinnie. said he intended to take up the case with both U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mr Mandela played a central role in facilitating the handover of Mr al-Megrahi and his fellow accused to the United Nations in order for them to stand trial under Scottish law in the Netherlands.
30 August 2009 His interest and involvement continued after the trial after visiting Mr al-Megrahi in prison. The decision to release him now, and
allow him to return to Libya, is one which is therefore in line with his wishes."
Friday, June 22, 1990
Mandela: A Man Of Controversy -- Anc Leader Praises Plo, Libya, Cuba
At a town hall meeting in Harlem televised nationally last night, the deputy president of the African National Congress praised Palestine
Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He called them ``comrades in "arms'' in black South Africa's struggle against the white minority government.
Mandela said the three leaders, viewed as enemies by the U.S. government, have been friends in need to the ANC, which is seeking to end apartheid's policy of racial separation in South Africa.
Arafat, Gadhafi and Castro ``support our struggle to the hilt,'' he said. ``There is no reason whatsoever why we should have any hesitation about hailing their commitment to human rights.''
Mandela said his attitude toward any country is shaped by that country's support of the anti-apartheid movement.
They fully support our struggle, not only with rhetoric, but by putting resources at our disposal,'' he said.
Mandela's support of the PLO has angered U.S. Jewish leaders and prompted demonstrations against him here.
Our support for Yasser Arafat does not mean the ANC has ever doubted the right of Israel to exist as a state legally, he said, adding. We do not mean Israel has the right to retain the territories they conquered from the Arab world.
Gets you thinking the circle has come round again
On the day of the bombing, as the theory goes, terrorists exchanged suitcases: one with drugs for one with a bomb.
A more extreme version of this theory is that the CIA knew in advance this exchange would take place but let it happen anyway, because the protected drugs route was a rogue operation, and the American intelligence officers on Pan Am 103 had found out about it, and were on their way to Washington to tell their superiors.
The former version of the protected-suitcase theory was suggested in October 1989 by Juval Aviv, the owner of Interfor Inc, a private investigation company based in New York. Aviv was an ex-Mossad officer and was employed by Pan Am as their lead investigator for the bombing.
His claims provided Pan Am with a credible defence against claims for compensation by relatives of victims, since, if the US government had helped the bomb bypass Pan Am's security, the airline could hardly have been held liable.
Aviv was never interviewed by either the Scottish police or the FBI.
June 10, 2002 Former South African President Nelson Mandela said Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi a Libyan spy convicted in the bombing of a
Pan Am flight 103, was a victim of psychological persecution in prison in Scotland and called for his transfer to a prison in a Muslim country.
After a two-hour visit with Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi Mandela also told reporters conditions in al-Megrahi's cell were "unacceptable" and the prisoner had been "harassed" by other inmates at Barlinnie. said he intended to take up the case with both U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mr Mandela played a central role in facilitating the handover of Mr al-Megrahi and his fellow accused to the United Nations in order for them to stand trial under Scottish law in the Netherlands.
30 August 2009 His interest and involvement continued after the trial after visiting Mr al-Megrahi in prison. The decision to release him now, and
allow him to return to Libya, is one which is therefore in line with his wishes."
Friday, June 22, 1990
Mandela: A Man Of Controversy -- Anc Leader Praises Plo, Libya, Cuba
At a town hall meeting in Harlem televised nationally last night, the deputy president of the African National Congress praised Palestine
Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He called them ``comrades in "arms'' in black South Africa's struggle against the white minority government.
Mandela said the three leaders, viewed as enemies by the U.S. government, have been friends in need to the ANC, which is seeking to end apartheid's policy of racial separation in South Africa.
Arafat, Gadhafi and Castro ``support our struggle to the hilt,'' he said. ``There is no reason whatsoever why we should have any hesitation about hailing their commitment to human rights.''
Mandela said his attitude toward any country is shaped by that country's support of the anti-apartheid movement.
They fully support our struggle, not only with rhetoric, but by putting resources at our disposal,'' he said.
Mandela's support of the PLO has angered U.S. Jewish leaders and prompted demonstrations against him here.
Our support for Yasser Arafat does not mean the ANC has ever doubted the right of Israel to exist as a state legally, he said, adding. We do not mean Israel has the right to retain the territories they conquered from the Arab world.
Gets you thinking the circle has come round again
