The Lockerbie Bombing

“A lot has been said and written about both Lockerbie and me. This is my chance to set out what happened, why and by whom.” Kenny MacAskill On 21, December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 departed London Heathrow for New York. Shortly after take-off, a bomb detonated, killing all aboard and devastating the small Scottish town of Lockerbie below. Only one man has ever been convicted of the crime, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi . However few people believe that the bombing was carried out by a single individual. In 2009 al-Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds by the author who was Scotland’s Justice Secretary from 2007-14. The release from prison and deportation back to Libya caused a political controversy in the UK and severely damaged Anglo-American relations. This book lifts the lid on what became known as the Lockerbie Bombing. Detailing the build-up to the atrocity and the carnage it caused, Kenny MacAskill narrates the international investigation that followed and the diplomatic intrigue that saw a Scottish court convened in the Netherlands.He describes the controversial release of al-Megrahi, explains the international dimensions involved and lays bare the commercial and security interests that ran in the background throughout the investigation and trial. Finally, he answers why and how it happened; and who was responsible.