Victoria Cummock.
Her husband
John, was killed in the Pan Am flight
103 bombing.
She's the founder
and CEO of the Lockerbie
Legacy Foundation.
Victoria, thank you for being he
What does this
what does this moment, what does
What does this news mean
to you and your family?
Well, the US apprehension and arrest
of Libyan
terrorist suspect Abu Ghulam Mas
is the first tangible
step made by the US Department o
in 34 years
to hold any suspects accountable
courts.
You know that U.S.
federal courts
have jurisdiction
to prosecute crimes on board U.S
flagged aircrafts
regardless of the location.
So aside from issuing the 1991
criminal indictments against two
al-Megrahi and Fima
and then the 2020 criminal charg
against Masood.
U.S.
authorities have never arrested
or prosecuted any suspects in 34
And to the American victims fami
this really has felt like
a betrayal by U.S.
authorities to the thousands
that regularly pledge allegiance
to America and its flag.
Today's arraignment of Masood
in a Washington
courthouse is a significant step
first step to address
this three decades long
miscarriage of justice.
It's the victims' families ferve
that the U.S.
criminal trial proceedings
begin immediately.
Since justice delayed, is justic
the victims families are keenly
that after 34 years,
informants
and witnesses die, memories fade
and evidence
can deteriorate or disappear.
So really, on behalf of
my family and the Pan
Am, one l
three Lockerbie
family members I want to express
my gratitude,
our gratitude to President Biden
who he himself is a Syracuse
University alumnus.
And there were 35 Syracuse
University victims on the flight
We also want to express our grat
to the U.S.
authorities for today
putting actions behind their 34
years of pledge as the time for
for us now
You've mentioned
that many of the families
included had long felt
and betrayed
by how this has all transpired
over 34 years.
So does today give you a sense o
Have you allowed yourself
after so long
and as you say,
a miscarriage of justice happeni
Do you how does it feel today fo
to feel
hopeful that we will finally get
to hear a little bit about the t
who ordered this attack
or who was involved
and perpetrated
the attack and bring not only Ma
but other coconspirators to just
You know, this this pledge is on
the family members
you know, began 34 years ago.
Regular people
like you and me began a Star War
quest to ensure justice will be
by identifying and holding accou
those responsible.
This was the second
most deadly terrorist attack
against America in U.S. history.
And so the victims families
pledge to pursue justice.
And it's personally my
my three decade old promise to
to John come up my 38 year old h
my best friend
and the father of our 33 childre
So that's why I established the
Am one L three
Lockerbie Legacy Foundation.
34 years.
It bears
repeating
just how long you have been figh
for justice and for answers
after losing your husband
and losing the father of your ch
I mean next week.
December 21st
is the anniversary of the bombin
the anniversary of your husband
John's death. Is
is after three plus decades.
Is this one going to.
Is this one going to be differen
Now that this process has begun?
There is a Masood is in U.S.
custody, will be in an American
today.
Well, it's
we're hopeful that that
having this process begin
will will renew our hope in the
justice system and in our countr
You know, in 1988
so many American families
like my like my own family
with my three small children
and I were
waiting for the arrival of Santa
and for their daddy
John to come home
from a London business trip.
And then four days before Christ
John among 259 passengers
and crew boarded PanAm 103
which was a U.S.
flag Boeing
seven 47 flying from London to N
And like you said 38 minutes
into the flight at 31,000 feet
the terrorist bomb exploded scat
the 259 souls the airplane conte
and debris over a 845 square mil
area on the serene
countryside and town
of Lockerbie, Scotland.
So at that moment, 270 lives
were shattered
and thousands of victims, loved
from 21
nations, were left to pick up th
We really want to make sure
that the justice is served in or
to avoid further attacks.
On the flying public
and on the American people.
Victoria,
thank you so much for coming on.
A very important step
towards the justice that you're
but it's still a long road
ahead for sure.
But I really appreciate you comi
Thank you so much.