Short Overview of Lockerbie for those unfamiliar:
Recent News:
What the American Public Thinks about Iran:
-Gallup
But still oppose military action on Iran, whether it be from us or Israel, and favor diplomatic solutions:
-Haartz
TL;DR: Public and state policy attitudes to Iran differ wildly. It's not a lot yet, but I get the feeling we're going to revisit Lockerbie and (rightly or wrongly) blame it on Iran as a way of shifting public sentiment.
July 3 1988: (Civilian carrier) Iran Air Flight 655 is shot down by missiles from a U.S. cruiser, killing all 290 on board.
Dec. 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from London Heathrow to New York JFK is bombed over Scotland killing 270 people, 189 of them American.
Nov. 13, 1991: After a three-year joint investigation indictments for murder were issued on 13 November 1991 against Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer and the head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines
Jan. 31 2001: al-Megrahi was convicted of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges and sentenced to life imprisonment. (In 2009 he was release back to Libya after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died in May 2012.)
2003: Muammar Gaddafi admitted Libya's responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and paid compensation to the victims' families, though he maintained that he never personally gave the order for the attack.
2004: Libyan Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem stated that his country had paid the compensation as the "price for peace" and to secure the lifting of sanctions. Asked if Libya did not accept guilt, he said, "I agree with that."
Dec. 21, 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from London Heathrow to New York JFK is bombed over Scotland killing 270 people, 189 of them American.
Nov. 13, 1991: After a three-year joint investigation indictments for murder were issued on 13 November 1991 against Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer and the head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines
Jan. 31 2001: al-Megrahi was convicted of murder by a panel of three Scottish judges and sentenced to life imprisonment. (In 2009 he was release back to Libya after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died in May 2012.)
2003: Muammar Gaddafi admitted Libya's responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and paid compensation to the victims' families, though he maintained that he never personally gave the order for the attack.
2004: Libyan Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem stated that his country had paid the compensation as the "price for peace" and to secure the lifting of sanctions. Asked if Libya did not accept guilt, he said, "I agree with that."
Recent News:
UK Prime Minister David Cameron went on a surprise trip to Tripoli last week and announced British police would be visiting Libya, stating: "What we want to achieve is justice and a full uncovering of the facts.”
In September 2012, a group of relatives to U.S. victims petitioned Congress to further review the bombing. “Sadly, all these years later, the families of American victims are still awaiting justice. Until now, there has yet to be a complete investigation of those implicated in the crimes.”
And then this in the book section of the New York Times:
In September 2012, a group of relatives to U.S. victims petitioned Congress to further review the bombing. “Sadly, all these years later, the families of American victims are still awaiting justice. Until now, there has yet to be a complete investigation of those implicated in the crimes.”
And then this in the book section of the New York Times:
“It goes back to an old story,” he said. “Lockerbie.” The book is based on the premise that it was Iran — not Libya — that carried out the notorious 1988 airliner bombing. The Iranians went to great lengths to persuade Muammar el-Qaddafi to take the fall for the attack, which was carried out in revenge for the downing of an Iranian passenger plane by American missiles six months earlier, de Villiers said. This has long been an unverified conspiracy theory, but when I returned to the United States, I learned that de Villiers was onto something. I spoke to a former C.I.A. operative who told me that “the best intelligence” on the Lockerbie bombing points to an Iranian role. It is a subject of intense controversy at the C.I.A. and the F.B.I., he said, in part because the evidence against Iran is classified and cannot be used in court, but many at the agency believe Iran directed the bombing."
What the American Public Thinks about Iran:
-Gallup
But still oppose military action on Iran, whether it be from us or Israel, and favor diplomatic solutions:
The new annual poll published this week by the Chicago Council for Global Affairs on American attitudes towards foreign affairs – dubbed “Foreign Policy in the New Millennium” - found that 70% of Americans oppose a strike on Iran that is not authorized by the UN Security Council, and 51% are opposed even if the UN body does sanction the attack. In addition, 59% of Americans are opposed to US intervention on behalf of Israel in case of Iranian retaliation for a preemptive Israeli attack.
-Haartz
TL;DR: Public and state policy attitudes to Iran differ wildly. It's not a lot yet, but I get the feeling we're going to revisit Lockerbie and (rightly or wrongly) blame it on Iran as a way of shifting public sentiment.