“I have compared some fragments of electronic circuit board recovered at Lockerbie and marked as item AG/145 with various radio/cassette tape recorders. I am completely satisfied that these fragments originate from a Toshiba brand radio stereo cassette recorder types RT-8016 or RT-8026. (…) The set used in the bomb possessed a white plastics case.”
Allen Feraday (February 3 1989)
January 4 2021 — On December 21 2020 (the 32nd anniversary of the Lockerbie tragedy), the US DoJ announced new charges against a third former Libyan intelligence operative for his role in the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103. Here is a quick analysis of this new indictment. In the 4th post of this series, I examine the confession of MASUD regarding the IED that allegedly destroyed Pan Am 103. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
RELATED POST: On This Day — Pan Am Flight 103 disintegrates over Lockerbie
RELATED POST: LOCKERBIE — US DOJ to unseal charges against 3rd Libyan [UPDATE — Blast from the Past]
Lockerbie — Three Decades of Lies: J’Accuse…!
QUICK NOTES — To make it easier for the readers to retrieve various chapters of my book, I have created a special page “Lockerbie” where all the links to the chapters will be listed with a brief description. You can access that page directly as it appears at the far right of the top bar of this blog.
On March 11 2020, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission [SCCRC] decided to refer the Lockerbie case back to the High Court of Justiciary for determination. As a result of the Commission’s decision, Mr. Megrahi’s family was therefore entitled to instruct an appeal against his conviction.
The first procedural hearing took place on Friday August 21 2020. The Appeal started on November 24 2020 and ended 3 days later. The five judges will now produce a written submission as soon as practicable.
RELATED POST: Lockerbie Third Appeal — Day 1 (November 24 2020)
RELATED POST: Lockerbie Third Appeal — Day 2 (November 25 2020)
RELATED POST: Lockerbie Third Appeal — Day 3 (November 26 2020)
Lockerbie — Three Decades of Lies: J’Accuse…!
On December 21 2020 (15:30 GMT), Attorney General William Barr, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers, and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, announced new charges against a former Libyan intelligence operative.
The US DoJ believes that there is enough evidence to prosecute Abu Agela MASUD for his role in building the bomb that killed 270 individuals in the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on Dec. 21, 1988.
Quick reminder
I started this series with a post about the new story of the “Magic Suitcase”.
RELATED POST: LOCKERBIE — Analysis of the New Indictment [Let us get started!]
Initially, the FBI claimed that Megrahi brought it himself to Malta on December 20 1988.
Now they claim that Masud brought the infamous SAMSONITE suitcase on December 14 1988.
But there is one problem. The FBI claims that Masud arrived in Malta on December 14 1988, bizarrely also described as “three or four days” before the tragedy.
At the same time, the indictment alleges that Masud was met by Megrahi at the airport.
That is of course impossible as — according to the FBI’s own TIMELINE — Megrahi was not in Malta from December 9 to December 17 1988.
In the second post of this series, I reviewed the information available regarding Abu Agela Masud.
RELATED POST: LOCKERBIE — Analysis of the New Indictment [Who is Abu Agela Masud?]
And I concluded that post with a simple question for the FBI & CIA.
The CIA station in Malta had a Libyan agent — Majid Giaka — keeping them informed of all arrivals and departures of ESO officers to and from Luqa airport in Malta.
Yet, Giaka never reported the arrival of MASUD on December 14 1988. Why on earth not?
In the 3rd post, I pointed out the indisputable fact that the FBI Timeline has been falsified to support the new charges. There is no denying it.
RELATED POST: LOCKERBIE — Analysis of the New Indictment [US DoJ & FBI Timeline Falsified to Support New Charges]
In this 4th and last part before a general conclusion, I will take a look at the comments of MASUD regarding the IED he claimed to have built.
The Metamorphosis of the TOSHIBA IED
During the initial stage of the Lockerbie investigation, forensic ‘scientist’ Allen Feraday concluded that the IED had been hidden inside a white TOSHIBA radio.
In his report (dated February 3 1989) to Detective Chief Superintendent Orr, Feraday wrote:
“I have compared some fragments of electronic circuit board recovered at Lockerbie (Longtown) and marked as item AG/145 with various radio/cassette tape recorders.
I am completely satisfied that these fragments originate from a Toshiba brand radio stereo cassette recorder types RT-8016 or RT-8026. (…)
The set used in the bomb possessed a white plastics case. Photograph of RT-8016 enclosed. Colour photographs and other details will be available early next week.”
Two years later, the indictment mentions a black twin-speaker model RT SF 16 sold uniquely to Libya. (That is so subtle!)
“(…) and an improvised explosive device containing high performance plastic explosive concealed within a Toshiba RT SF 16 ‘Bombeat’ radio cassette recorder.”
The New Story
Here is part of paragraph 46 of the affidavit:
“He [MASUD] explained that he hid the detonator and timer in a technical way that would make it difficult to be discovered, by placing it close to the metallic parts of the suitcase.
MASUD said that he used approximately one-and-a-half kilograms of plastic Semtex, and he added that plastic explosives do not show up on the airport baggage scanner.”
That is right! According to MASUD’s confession, he did not conceal the SEMTEX and the infamous MST-13 timer inside a TOSHIBA radio.
That ‘information’ could be embarrassing to some people….
No wonder the Lord Advocate wants the new Lockerbie trial to take place in Scotland. If the US DoJ runs this kangaroo court, the thing is going to hit the fan. Once in a while, even a blind chicken finds something to eat.
PS — Regarding the MST-13 timer, the FBI affidavit is obviously dead wrong. Firstly, Herr Bollier never sold a single MST-13 timer to Libya. (Who would buy such a piece of crap?)
And secondly, there is simply no way that Ulrich Lumpert built 20 of them with 60 4518BT chips! Just do the math!
RELATED POST: FBI — Do you have what it takes to be an Intelligence Analyst? [Parody] // UPDATE
Hemingway believed the FBI was an American GESTAPO. Sorry, but the comparison is a bit unfair… No one ever accused the GESTAPO of laziness and incompetence. The FBI should be renamed the Federal Bureau of Incompetence.
Former Senior Libyan Intelligence Officer and Bomb-Maker for the Muamar Qaddafi Regime Charged for The December 21, 1988 Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
REFERENCES
US DoJ Website : Former Senior Libyan Intelligence Officer and Bomb-Maker for the Muamar Qaddafi Regime Charged for The December 21, 1988 Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
Note 1 — Lockerbie Trial (Pages 3360 & 3361) The full exchange between Allen Feraday and Richard Keen QC goes:
6 We can see already that it’s to Detective Chief
7 Superintendent Orr on 3rd February 1989 from yourself,
8 subject, Lockerbie inquiries.
9 And you say: “I have compared some fragments
10 of electronic circuit board recovered at Lockerbie
11 (Longtown) and marked as item AG/145 with various
12 radio/cassette tape recorders. I am completely
13 satisfied that these fragments originate from a Toshiba
14 brand radio stereo cassette recorder types RT-8016 or
15 RT-8026. These fragments are shattered in a manner
16 consistent with their intimate involvement in a violent
17 explosion, and I therefore conclude that the bomb was
18 concealed in the aforementioned Toshiba type portable
19 radio/cassette player.
20 “The Toshiba RT-8016 and RT-8026 are
21 visually similar and differ only in that the 8026 has a
22 3 band graphics equaliser on its front panel. Both
23 sets measure 16 and a half inches by 5 and a half
24 inches by 4 inches. The set used in the bomb possessed
25 a white plastics case. Photograph of RT-8016 enclosed.
3361
1 Colour photographs and other details will be available
2 early next week.”
3 And is that your signature at the bottom,
4 Mr. Feraday?
5 A Yes, sir. And it’s in my handwriting as
6 well, sir.
7 Q So writing to the senior investigating
8 officer on 3rd February 1989, you are expressing
9 yourself as completely satisfied about the conclusion
10 that the bomb was concealed in the Toshiba RT-8016 or
11 RT-8026, are you not, Mr. Feraday?
12 A That’s as — unfortunately, as I
13 understood the situation at the time, from Toshibas,
14 yes.
15 Q I take it that you are not in the habit
16 of being completely satisfied about a forensic matter
17 until you have investigated that matter, Mr. Feraday?
18 A That’s correct, sir. Yes.
19 Q You also say, without qualification of
20 any kind, that the set used in the bomb possessed a
21 white plastics case.
22 A That’s correct, sir.
=
LOCKERBIE — Analysis of the New Indictment [The TOSHIBA Radio : First a metamorphosis, now a vanishing act!]
Intel Today 