[This is the headline over a report on the website of WSYR TV, a television station based in Syracuse, NY. The report features an interview with Richard Marquise before his appearances at Syracuse University. The interview can be viewed, and the report read, here. The text of the report reads in part:]
For only the second time since Pan Am 103 exploded over Lockerbie Scotland, the lead investigator is in Syracuse to talk about the disaster. Richard Marquise helped build the case that led to the only conviction in the bombing, and fought unsuccessfully to keep Abdul al-Megrahi in prison last year.
In an instant, the terrorist attack forever linked Syracuse, NY, and Lockerbie Scotland together. When Pan Am 103 blew up over the Scottish town, it killed 270 people on the plane. Among them were 35 Syracuse University students (...)
For years, lead investigator Richard Marquise sought justice. His crime scene was 845 square miles. "Its been part of my life for 22 years and you just can't discount something that has been that big a part of your life for such a long time," he said.
It took years for his team working with Scottish authorities to build a case that would lead to Abdul al-Megrahi's conviction 13 years after the bombing. "It was a circumstantial case and it took believing all the circumstances for the judges to convict."
Marquise says they got the right man, although he believes al-Megrahi wasn't the only one involved. al-Megrahi, Marquise says, was just the only one they could convict.
That is why Marquise and his Scottish counterpart fought so hard to keep al-Megrahi in prison before his 2009 release. "I think justice wasn't served because the only person convicted of this crime is home with his family, something the people who lost relatives on that plane will never have, their relatives home with them again," he said.
Marquise says he never has had a chance to speak to al-Megrahi, although he did say he was able to submit a question to Muammar Qaddafi during a lecture at Georgetown University in 2009. He says that through a translator the Libyan leader said Pan Am 103 was in the past. (...)
Marquise says his visit to the SU campus will not be easy for him, even though more than two decades have past since the bombing. "It's difficult just because the memories of the families and the people I've dealt with for over 20 years come back," he said.
Obviously the "circumstances part" is of interest to most, but I perked up at this line:
ReplyDelete"you just can't discount something that has been that big a part of your life for such a long time."
What a strange comment. Why is he even discussing the possibility of someone "discounting" his work here? The interview didn't do it. I'm listening now for the slightest sign of meaningful questions. A lot of crap it seems, robotic Americana on both sides.
But at about 7:00 I hear possible probing to see if he's willing to acknowledge anything we don't know, not well publicized, not "kept a secret, or anything like that, but..." If so, no luck. Marquise speaks about airport security and 9/11 and families and so on ... Is the interviewer's awkward little response unimpressed?
At 9:24 the interviewer does about the same thing, about the book. "what really happened that maybe we're not fully up to date on?" He recaps the whole story briefly, BUT uncharacteristically, does not mention a single Giaka clue here. And while saying Megrahi was identified as the clothes buyer, he doesn't mention the date of purchase this time. He also looks grumpy to me.
With a little imagination, I can see this interviewer having done his research and probed the subject a little. If so, I hope he noted that Mr. M. is NOT inclined to come level with us, and is increasingly on the defensive against offering any leverage to questions he fears will strike at any moment.
Man, it's awesome having imagination.
MISSION LOCKERBIE:
ReplyDeleteThe Pan Am 103 investigator visits was a reaction and attacke against the powerful campaign for a new inquiry in the case of PanAm 103...
Ex FBI Special Agent Richard Marquise, Task For chief and cordinator, between FBI and CIA in the "Lockerbie-Affair", tries at Syracuse University with its Lies story "SCOTBOM" to attack the truth facts in the case of the real Lockerbie-Tragedy ! Marquise will show pictures of the evidence police found scattered across Lockerbie, Scotland, after the Dec. 21, 1988 bombing...
I have expected in the same seminar, Richard Marquise will in its lecture show the documentary *film Lockerbie Revisited of Gideon Levy ?
* "Lockerbie Revisited" is a Backlight documentary by Gideon Levy which shows that FBI, CIA and Scottish police have cooperated in tampering with evidence...
Perhaps Al Megrahi is indeed innocent. Lockerbie Revisited has won the Prix d'Europe for best documentary in the category current affairs.
Please watch now the full documentary film "Lockerbie revisited" by Regisseur Gideon Levy, shown to Scottish members of Parliament about important facts concerning the conspiracy against Libya.
http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/afleveringen/2008-2009/lockerbie-revisited.html
by Edwin and Mahnaz Bollier, MEBO Ltd., Switzerland
our webpage: www.lockerbie.ch
CL: Yes, 'awesome imagination' and wishful thinking. :)
ReplyDeleteMy take was slightly different, but hey...you're the American dissecting two other Americans, so maybe you are seeing and hearing subtleties, I'm not picking up.
I thought Mr Marquise appeared a decent guy. He was very relaxed, both with the subject matter and the interview environment - this inevitably leads to confidence and good supporting body language. He has spoken about this subject for years and years and probably believes beyond any self-doubt, what he says. He would pass a lie-detector test on this subject. The reporter (if that's what you call a slightly vacuous guy with a microphone) was the nervous one because he did not know the subject and was in deference to Mr. Marquise - constantly, making encouraging wow! sounds, for example. This interview was never really going to trouble the subject - was it? Despite asking him if there was anything we didn't know about Lockerbie. LOL! I had to laugh at that - "Marquise cracks under the weight of compliments from NewsChannel9 wimp!" - not likely.
That said, Mr Marquise stuck to a lot of things that are not in dispute, the feelings of the victims' families, the good cooperation and relations with the Scottish investigators etc.
The more disturbing aspect this demonstrates is, there continues to be a polar opposite of views across the Atlantic on 'whodunnit'. The support of US victims' families could be vital under some inquiry formats, if indeed an inquiry is granted. The need to establish a bridgehead in the US is obvious. It may be worth investing time and effort trying to establish this.
Is it overstretched to interprete Mr. Marquise´s words as follows: We were convinced / we believed it was Libya. And the only two Libyans we could hope to catch were little Megrahi and little Fhimah. So we accused them.
ReplyDeleteWe spoke on a separate thread about the way Dr Jim, Prof B and the others conducted themselves at their hearing with the Petitions Committee the other day. We said how genuine they were and so clear in all they said. We spoke about how when you tell the truth rehearsals aren't needed.
ReplyDeleteWith Marquise we have the other side to that, the accomplished actor, the person who truly is rehearsed in all they say. Such a person can also come over as relaxed and genuine. It comes with practise and let's face it, Marquise has been practising these lines for years.