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>> "THE LONGEST NIGHT,"
LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND.
>> 23 MILLION AMERICANS FLY
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC EACH
YEAR, AND EVERY TIME WE GET
ON A PLANE NOW WE HAVE
TO WONDER ARE WE SIMPLY
ROLLING THE DICE?
>> WE ARE OUT THERE.
WE ARE THE TARGETS.
WE AMERICANS
THE TARGETS, AND NO ONE WILL
TELL US.
THEY SHOULD HAVE YOU WEA
A SHIRT -- "I AM
AN AMERICAN.
KILL ME."
>> IT'S ALWAYS THERE
IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND,
ISN'T IT?
GOOD EVENING.
I'M CONNIE CHUNG.
IF YOU FLY, AND MOST OF US
DO, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT
FEAR.
BUT NOTHING BROUGHT HOME
THE FEAR OF TERRORISM
IN THE SKIES QUITE LIKE
THE BOMBING OF PAN AM
FLIGHT 103 LAST CHRISTMAS
OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND.
270 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.
TONIGHT, WE GO INSIDE
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ***
INVESTIGATION, AND,
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE MAN
IN CHARGE OF THAT
INVESTIGATION REVEALS
IN DETAIL WHAT HIS
DETECTIVES THINK HAPPENED.
WE'RE GOING TO RECONSTRUCT
FOR YOU HIS LEADING THEORY
ON HOW THE BOMB COULD HAVE
BEEN PLANTED ONBOARD
THE PLANE.
BUT FOR ALL THAT COMPLICATED
DETECTIVE WORK, OUR STORY
BEGINS, SIMPLY ENOUGH,
WITH A RADIO.
>> THIS IS THE RADIO,
THIS IS THE BOMB.
IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A RADIO,
AND IT WORKS LIKE A RADIO.
THIS BOMB CAN PLAY MUSIC.
IT'S A VERY COST-EFFECTIVE
WAY OF DESTROYING A LOT
OF LIVES.
>> THIS IS THE GREATEST MASS
*** OF MODERN TIMES
IN SCOTLAND, AND IT IS
AND ENORMOUS TRAGEDY.
WE ARE DEDICATED TO ONE
SINGLE TASK IN SCOTLAND
AT THE MOMENT -- THAT IS
THE IDENTIFICATION OF THOSE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MASS
***.
>> MY DAUGHTER WAS SITTING
IN SEAT 29A.
MY DAUGHTER SHOULD BE HOME.
IT HAS CHANGED --
IT HAS CHANGED OUR DREAMS.
IT HAS CHANGED HOW I VIEW
EVERYTHING, AND I KNOW IT
CAN HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> I LOST THE CLOSEST FRIEND
I HAD IN LOCKERBIE,
AND I DON'T REALLY THINK,
FOR THE PEOPLE OF LOCKERBIE,
LIFE CAN EVER BE NORMAL
AGAIN.
>> WE'VE GOT THE BIGGEST
INTERNATIONAL *** HUNT
IN HISTORY,
ALL CAUSED BY TERRORISTS
AND ALL CAUSED BY ONE QUITE
SMALL DETONATOR.
NOW, I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS
APART NOW AND SHOW YOU WHAT
THE BOMB THAT BLEW UP
THE PAN AM FLIGHT 103 MUST
HAVE LOOKED LIKE.
FIRST OF ALL, THE MAIN
EXPLOSIVE THAT'S GOING TO DO
THE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE,
A COMMERCIAL EXPLOSIVE
CALLED SEMTEX.
NOW, THIS HAS BEEN
DISTRIBUTED PRETTY WIDELY
THROUGHOUT THE TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION IN EUROPE,
CERTAINLY, AND IT IS USED
BY TERRORISTS BECAUSE IT'S
CONVENIENT.
IT'S POWERFUL AND DEADLY.
NOW, THE DETONATOR IS
THE KEY OF THE EXPLOSIVE
LOCK, THE SMALLEST, THE MOST
DEADLY PART OF THE WHOLE
THING AND RELATIVELY EASY
TO GET HOLD OF BY
TERRORISTS.
THAT'S WHAT SETS IT OFF.
>> IF ANYONE HAD TOLD ME
IN THE SHOCK AND
THE AFTERMATH OF THE 21st
OF DECEMBER THAT WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO IDENTIFY AS MUCH
AS WE HAVE, THAT
WE PHYSICALLY LOCATE
AND RETREAT FROM THESE
HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES
OF SCOTLAND THE ITEMS THAT
WE HAVE, I WOULD FRANKLY
HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL.
>> I FOUND SOMETHING!
>> IT MEANT SEARCHING,
BY HAND, HUNDREDS OF SQUARE
MILES.
THE SEARCHING IS STILL GOING
ON.
AND IT WAS POSSIBLE
TO ESTABLISH, VERY CLEARLY,
THAT IT WAS INDEED A BOMB
THAT HAD TAKEN OUT THIS
AIRCRAFT -- THAT INDEED IT
WAS A BOMB CONTAINED WITHIN
A CASSETTE RECORDER.
>> PRECISELY SUCH A CASSETTE
RECORDER WAS DESCRIBED
IN AN FAA SECURITY WARNING
OBTAINED BY CBS NEWS.
THE WARNING WAS ISSUED FIVE
WEEKS BEFORE PAN AM 103
WOULD BE BLOWN APART.
IT DESCRIBED IN DETAIL
THE ARREST OF A TERRORIST
GROUP OPERATING IN GERMANY
AND THE SEIZURE BY GERMAN
POLICE OF A CACHE
OF EXPLOSIVES, INCLUDING
A RADIO BOMB BUILT TO PASS
UNDETECTED THROUGH AIRPORTS.
ONE MONTH BEFORE THE BOMBING
OF PAN AM 103, THE AIRLINES,
THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
AND THE EMBASSIES ALL GOT
THE FATAL WARNING.
THE GENERAL FLYING PUBLIC
DID NOT.
>> IF WE WERE TO MAKE PUBLIC
ALL OF THESE THREATS,
WE WOULD PARALYZE NOT ONLY
AIR TRAFFIC BUT WE WOULD
PARALYZE DIPLOMATIC
MISSIONS, WE WOULD PARALYZE
AMERICAN BUSINESS.
WE SIMPLY CANNOT BE
IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE
WE ARE GIVING IN
TO THE TERRORISTS BY MAKING
PUBLIC EVERY SINGLE THREAT
WE GET.
TO DO THAT IS TO ALLOW
A TERRORIST WITH A QUARTER
TO GO MAKE A PHONE CALL
AND SAY, "I'M GOING TO BLOW
X FLIGHT OUT OF THE SKY
TONIGHT," AND THEN WE MAKE
IT PUBLIC AND HE ACHIEVES
HIS PURPOSE.
>> WHO DO YOU THINK
MASTERMINDED THE BOMBING
OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103?
>> WE HAD A GROUP OF RADICAL
PALESTINIANS WHO'D BEEN
ARRESTED BY THE GERMANS,
AND THAT'S A GROUP WHICH HAS
ATTACKED AMERICAN TARGETS
BEFORE, INCLUDING IN GERMANY
LAST YEAR.
IT'S A GROUP WHICH HAS
ITS HEADQUARTERS
IN DAMASCUS, GETS ITS MONEY
FROM THE LIBYANS, AND HAS
CONVERSATIONS WITH
THE IRANIANS ABOUT
CONDUCTING ATTACKS.
SO THAT'S AN AWFULLY GOOD
SUSPECT.
>> THE GROUP, WITHIN
THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,
THAT HAVE TO GET THE BOMB
ON THE AIRCRAFT COULD HAVE
DUPED SOMEBODY INTO CARRYING
IT ABOARD AS EITHER A GIFT
TO THEMSELVES WHERE
THEY WOULD PACK IT
IN THEIR OWN BAGGAGE
OR AS A PACKAGE THAT WAS
TO BE CARRIED TO SOME
RELATIVE OR SOMEBODY
IN NEW YORK.
>> BY A CAREFUL EXAMINATION
OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED
TO THE FUSELAGE OF
THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN
BY THE MOST METICULOUS,
PAINSTAKING SEARCHING
OF THE GROUND, LOOKING
FOR SMALL FRAGMENTS, WE HAVE
NOW IDENTIFIED, ALSO,
THE TYPE OF THE PIECE
OF BAGGAGE WITHIN WHICH
THE BOMB WAS CONTAINED.
>> YOU COULD EITHER HAVE
A HYPOTHESIS THAT THE DUPE
WAS COMPLETELY NAIVE,
COMPLETELY UNWITTING --
SOMEONE WHO WAS PERSUADED
TO TAKE A BAG ON
WITH NO SUSPICION --
OR THE PERSON WAS INVOLVED
IN SOMETHING ILLEGAL,
LIKE DRUG SMUGGLING,
AND THOUGHT THAT
HE OR SHE WAS SMUGGLING
DRUGS BUT IN FACT WAS
CARRYING ABOARD THE BOMB.
EITHER HYPOTHESIS IS
POSSIBLE.
>> IT WAS WINTER SOLSTICE,
THE LONGEST NIGHT
OF THE YEAR.
WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE
ARE SCENES WE CREATED,
BASED ON INFORMATION THAT'S
BEEN SHARED WITH US
BY THE SCOTTISH POLICE
AND SCOTLAND YARD,
A RECONSTRUCTION
OF THE INVESTIGATORS' OWN
THEORY.
>> LET'S TAKE THE CASE
OF THE NAIVE DUPE.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF YOUNG
WOMEN WHO HAD FRIENDS
IN THE ARAB COMMUNITIES,
EITHER IN FRANKFURT
OR ELSEWHERE, WHERE WE WERE
CONCERNED THAT PERHAPS
AN ARAB FRIEND OF THEIRS HAD
PERSUADED THEM UNWITTINGLY
TO CARRY THIS BOMB ON BOARD.
>> DOESN'T IT SEEM
RIDICULOUS IN TODAY'S AGE
OF TERRORISM THAT SOMEONE
WOULD BE SO NAIVE TO TAKE
A SUITCASE ONBOARD A PLANE,
THAT DIDN'T BELONG TO HIM
OR HER?
>> IT SEEMS TO ME EXTREMELY
NAIVE, BUT I GUESS THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO ARE THAT NAIVE.
>> TICKET, PLEASE.
FLIGHT NUMBER?
>> 103 -- PAN AM.
>> WHEN YOU ARRIVE
AT THE AIRPORT, YOU ARE
ASKED, "DID YOU PACK THIS
SUITCASE?
ARE YOU CARRYING ANY GIFTS
OR ANYBODY ELSE?
HAS THE BAG BEEN UNDER
OBSERVATION THE ENTIRE
TIME?"
SO YOU HOPE YOU CATCH THAT
KIND OF A PROBLEM WITH THOSE
KINDS OF QUESTIONS.
>> WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE
OF YOUR VISIT?
>> WELL, I'M STUDYING HERE.
I'M GOING HOME FOR
CHRISTMAS.
>> THESE ARE YOUR BAGS?
>> WELL, THE BACKPACK IS
MY STUFF --
THE SUITCASE I'M TAKING
FOR MY BOYFRIEND'S UNCLE.
HE'S MEETING ME AT KENNEDY.
>> YOU KNOW, OF COURSE,
WHAT'S INSIDE?
>> YEAH, SURE.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU CAN PROCEDE TO
THE TICKET WINDOW.
PAPIER, BITTE.
>> THE OTHER POSSIBILITY WAS
A FELLOW WHO WAS SUSPECTED
OF BEING INVOLVED IN DRUG
RUNNING WHO WAS ON THE PLANE
AND WAS KILLED.
IT'S POSSIBLE, BECAUSE
OF HIS CONTACTS IN THE DRUG
WORLD AND IN THE ARAB WORLD,
THAT HE MIGHT HAVE
UNWITTINGLY CARRIED
THE SUITCASE ABOARD,
PRESUMABLY THINKING IT WAS
DRUGS AND IN FACT IT WASN'T
DRUGS.
IT WAS A BOMB.
>> SECURITY ADVICE --
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PACKAGE
UNATTENDED.
>> AND YOUR PASSPORT?
>> IT'S HERE.
>> YOU ARE AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN?
EXCUSE ME?
>> YES.
>> WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE
OF YOUR VISIT?
>> PLEASURE -- VISITING
MY FRIENDS.
>> IS THIS YOUR BAG?
>> UH-HUH.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN ANY
GIFTS?
ARE YOU CARRYING ANY
ELECTRICAL DEVICES?
>> JUST MY RADIO, MAN.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU CAN PROCEDE TO
THE WINDOW NOW.
>> OVER HERE.
OVER HERE.
>> THE SECURITY PEOPLE DID
KNOW ABOUT THE THREATS.
ALL OF THE AIRLINE-SECURITY
OFFICIALS, INCLUDING
PAN AMERICAN, RECEIVED
THE NOVEMBER 17 ALERT.
>> THEN WHY WASN'T IT
DETECTED?
>> BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE
A HAND SEARCH OF EVERY
SINGLE BAG.
THAT WAS NOT REQUIRED.
>> BAGS TO CHECK?
>> I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT
A HAND SEARCH PROBABLY WOULD
NOT HAVE FOUND THIS BOMB,
THAT IT WAS SO CLEVERLY
MOUNTED IN THE RADIO THAT IT
IS UNLIKELY THAT EVEN
IF YOU HAD FOUND THE RADIO
YOU WOULD HAVE DETERMINED
THAT IT WAS A BOMB.
>> CHRISTMAS PRESENT, HUH?
HERE'S YOUR BAGGAGE CLAIM
AND YOUR BOARDING PAPERS.
YOUR GATE IS B-46,
4:50 DEPARTURE.
TRY TO BE THERE AT LEAST
15 MINUTES IN ADVANCE.
>> MERRY CHRISTMAS.
>> MERRY CHRISTMAS.
>> AT THE PAN AM TICKET
COUNTER, SOME BAGS WERE
MARKED FOR LATER X-RAY,
BUT THOSE BELONGING
TO AMERICAN CITIZENS USUALLY
WERE NOT.
>> THEY HAVE X-RAY
SCREENING, BUT THE WIRES
AND THE CIRCUITRY
OF THE BOMB ARE CAMOUFLAGED
BY THE WIRES AND CIRCUITRY
OF THE RADIO, AND IT'S ONLY
IF HE HAD A RADIO OF SIMILAR
SORT BEING DISPLAYED
AT THE SAME TIME
OF THE RADIO BOMB WOULD
HE SEE THAT THERE WAS
A DIFFERENCE.
>> ZU HAMBURG, BITTE.
>> WHY DIDN'T THEY CARE
ENOUGH TO SAY, "WE'VE
RECEIVED A HIGH-LEVEL
WARNING ON THIS FLIGHT.
LET'S CANCEL THE FLIGHT.
LET'S SEARCH THE FLIGHT"?
HOW COULD THEY HAVE LET
THESE PEOPLE BOARD THE PLANE
AND NOT HAVE CHECKED THOSE
TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS?
>> SECURITY ADVICE --
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BAGGAGE
UNATTENDED.
>> HOW COULD THEY HAVE DONE
THIS TO SO MANY CHILDREN
THAT DON'T HAVE A FATHER ANY
LONGER?
WHO WOULD WANT THIS
ON THE CONSCIENCE?
>> ATTENTION, PASSENGERS.
PAN AM FLIGHT 103
TO LONDON AND CONTINUING
ON TO NEW YORK IS READY
TO BOARD.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE
THOSE PASSENGERS WITH SMALL
>> HI, THERE.
>> HI.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M GREAT.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M PRETTY GOOD, THANKS.
ARE YOU HEADED FOR --
>> PARIS.
>> IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON,
AND BY THE TIME PAN AM 103
LEFT FRANKFURT FOR LONDON,
IT WAS LITERALLY A TICKING
TIME BOMB.
197 MORE PASSENGERS BOARDED
IN LONDON, MOSTLY AMERICANS,
HEADED HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.
BUT WHAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
DECIDED NOT TO TELL THEM WAS
THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE
FAA SECURITY-BULLETIN
WARNING OF A BOMB THREAT.
THERE WERE SEVERAL,
AND, TAKEN TOGETHER,
THEY READ LIKE A BLUEPRINT
FOR MASS ***.
THE 727 THAT LEFT GERMANY
ARRIVED AT LONDON'S HEATHROW
AIRPORT AT 5:00 P.M.
ABOUT 70 PIECES OF
THE FRANKFURT BAGGAGE WERE
THEN TRANSFERRED
INTO A NEW YORK-BOUND
747 JUMBO, INTO THE FORWARD
CARGO HOLD, JUST BENEATH
THE FIRST-CLASS SEATS.
THE SEMTEX BOMB WOULD BE
PLACED IN THAT CARGO HOLD,
TOO, READY TO EXPLODE RIGHT
NEXT TO THE PLANE'S VITAL
ELECTRONIC-CONTROL CENTER.
>> IT WOULD BE LIKE SHOOTING
A PERSON IN THE HEAD
IF THE BOMB WENT OFF WHEN IT
WAS PLACED IN A VITAL POINT,
EITHER ON THE HYDRAULICS
OR ON THE ELECTRONIC-CONTROL
VALVE -- JUST LIKE SHOOTING
A MAN THROUGH THE HEAD.
>> OUR DAUGHTER WAS
A HIGH-SCHOOL EXCHANGE
STUDENT IN EXETER,
ENGLAND -- FIRST AMERICAN
GIRL TO MAKE THAT EXCHANGE.
SHE WAS THERE FOR
A SEMESTER, AND SHE WAS
RETURNING HOME.
>> HOW ARE YOU?
THIS IS ENGLAND.
THIS IS MY STREET.
I'M HAVING A LOT OF FUN
HERE.
IT'S HARD WORK.
IT'S BEEN REALLY TOUGH,
BUT IT'S WORTH IT.
>> SHE WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL,
AND SHE WAS ALSO VERY
TOUGH -- THE KIND OF GIRL
THAT IN COMPETITIVE
ATHLETICS FROM THE AGE OF 5,
A GIRL WHO STARTED BALLET
TRAINING AT THE AGE OF 6 --
>> THE KIND OF GIRL THAT
YOU WOULD SAY, "GOD,
THERE'S NOTHING SHE CAN'T
DO, AND SHE'S GOOD.
AND SHE'S GOOD."
>> IT APPEARS NOW THERE WERE
MANY WARNINGS ISSUED
BY OUR GOVERNMENT
TO THE AIRLINES,
TO THE AIRPORTS, TO ALL
OUR SECURITY AGENCIES THAT
A BOMBING WAS TO TAKE PLACE,
THAT IT WAS TO TAKE PLACE
IN FRANKFURT IN THE TWO
WEEKS OR SO BEFORE
CHRISTMAS, THAT THE PLANE
WOULD BE A PAN AM PLANE,
BOUND FOR THE UNITED
STATES --
FIVE WRITTEN, OFFICIAL
WARNINGS OF A TERRORIST
BOMBING ATTACK, APPARENTLY
SOME RECEIVED BY GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS, WHO ACTED ON THEM
TO CANCEL THEIR RESERVATIONS