Political move may benefit Pan Am Flight 103 victims’ families

In a move that seems somewhat political, Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle brought the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy back into the minds of the Syracuse community.

Buerkle introduced two separate bills last Wednesday related to the 1988 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. The bombing killed 270 people, including 35 Syracuse University students who were traveling back from study-abroad semesters in London and Florence, Italy.

One bill requests that the FBI and Department of Justice report to Congress on the status of the criminal investigation into the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. It also requests that Libya grant the United States permission to investigate Libya regarding the bombing. The other bill calls for just compensation for the families of the victims.

Twenty-four years later, the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy remains near and dear to the SU community. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was the only individual ever convicted in the bombing. But many still feel there is unknown information about the bombing, and further investigations may help families continue the healing process.

Buerkle’s legislation may benefit her campaign for re-election, but as the representative in this area, it is a positive move to push for legislation that affects and concerns her constituents. In her press release, Buerkle said she had been working on this legislation with an organization dedicated to the bombing for several months.

With her position in Congress threatened by Democratic candidate Dan Maffei, these bills may be a way for Buerkle to win over some voters. But regardless of her political intentions, bringing more clarity to the bombing is an honorable intention.