Daniel Cohen, 2000
The linked video, recorded during the Lockerbie bombing trial in 2000, features Daniel Cohen at 1;53. Cohen, who lost his daughter Theodora on Pan Am Flight 103, died at the age of 82 this past Wednesday.
Daniel Cohen: March 12, 1936-May 9, 2018
The New York Times honored Daniel Cohen, father of Theodora Cohen, in a lengthy obituary. “Theo,” a theater major, was one of 35 Syracuse University students aboard Pan Am Flight 103. In the wake of her death, Daniel and Susan Cohen became prominent activists in the effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. Daniel and…
29 Years: 21.12.2017
Remembrance BY EMILY BRONTË Cold in the earth—and the deep snow piled above thee, Far, far removed, cold in the dreary grave! Have I forgot, my only Love, to love thee, Severed at last by Time’s all-severing wave? Now, when alone, do my thoughts no longer hover Over the mountains, on that northern shore, Resting…
Tony Gauci, 1941-2016
Tony Gauci, a key witness whose testimony linked Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, died on October 29. Critics of Gauci’s testimony characterized him as the prosecution’s “weakest link,” pointing to discrepancies in his testimony. Additionally, Gauci received a substantial payment for his participation in the inquiry (though the…
Two Emmys for My Brother’s Bomber
Ken Dornstein’s 2015 documentary, My Brother’s Bomber, wrote a new chapter in the nearly 30 year-old story of the bombing of Pan Am 103 and played a key role in identifying 2 additional suspects. Last night, Dornstein’s work earned the journalist 2 Emmy awards: My Brother’s Bomber, a brother’s gripping search for the terrorists who…
Joan Dater, 1942-2016
Athletic and ebullient, Gretchen Dater was an extraordinarily talented artist who could work with virtually any medium. Gretchen, a junior at the prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art, enrolled in Syracuse University’s Division of International Programs Abroad in the fall of 1988, joining several hundred fellow students at S.U.’s center in Notting Hill. While in…
Ken Dornstein’s Speech, Arlington National Cemetery. 21.12.2015
Though I was unable to make it to Arlington on the 27th anniversary last December, I can share portions of this speech courtesy of Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, which posted a number of speeches from last year’s memorial service on their Facebook site. The following excerpts are from Ken Dornstein’s presentation, the full…
Kenny MacAskill to Publish New Book on Pan Am 103
The families of those who died aboard Pan Am 103 suffered a series of indignities in the wake of the bombing. Grieving family members were horrified when, upon receiving notice that they had “freight” waiting for them at JFK, they arrived to witness forklifts unceremoniously lifting coffins from containers. Officials stonewalled families, politicians often resisted…
Magnus Linklater: Scottish Prosecutors Got the Right Man
In today’s edition of the Scottish Review, Magnus Linklater provides a detailed analysis of the journalistic and legal investigation of the bombing of Pan Am 103. Befittingly, he praises Ken Dornstein’s recent work, which uncovered additional conspirators in the Libyan plot to down the airliner: I liked Dornstein’s approach to the investigation, and, to be…
27 Years
As is so often the case with epochal events, I can recall the precise details of the instant I learned of the bombing of Pan Am 103. The fading light of an uncharacteristically warm day gave no hint or portents of the tragedy unfolding over 3,000 miles away. I sat on our ghastly orange couch…
Pan Am 103 in the Headlines
Ken Dornstein’s work projected Pan Am 103 back into the news almost 27 years after the bombing. Though it’s uncertain as to whether the conspirators will face a trial outside of Libya, 2015 was a year of remarkable progress for those who continue to pursue justice for those lost in 1988. Unfortunately, the parallels between…
Lockerbie Appeal Dropped
On Thursday, the SCCRC published its ruling on the case, reporting that it was “not in the interests of justice” to continue with a review of Megrahi’s conviction. The commission said it had not received defence papers from those appealing Megrahi’s conviction despite repeated requests over a 14-month period. It also reported more than a…