Cameron praises resilience of Lockerbie victims 25 years on

Bloomberg

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said the resilience of those affected by the Lockerbie bombing demonstrates why terrorists will never win.

The emphasis on today’s 25th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the southern Scottish town should be on the victims and those left behind, rather than the people responsible, Cameron said in a statement released by his office to mark the occasion. The attack left 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents dead.

“Our admiration for you is unconditional,” Cameron said in comments addressed to the families and friends of those who died. “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.”

The U.K., U.S. and Libya issued a joint statement today offering “their deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this terrible crime. We want all those responsible for this most brutal act of terrorism brought to justice, and to understand why it was committed.”

The governments said in the statement that U.S. and U.K. investigators would be visiting Libya to discuss cooperation “in order to reveal the full facts of the case.” Such cooperation will include “sharing of information and documents and access to witnesses.”

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan who was the only person ever convicted of the attack, died at his home in Tripoli last year, three years after being released from a Scottish prison on medical grounds and returning to Libya to a hero’s welcome. Some of the victims’ families remain unconvinced of his guilt.