Records on Pan Am Flight 103 Disaster

The materials in FOIA 1998-0034-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 1998-0034-F contains materials from agencies and individuals related to the 1988 bombing of Pan American Airways Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Subject File categories contain correspondence, memoranda, and news clippings from the general public, Congress, and the Bush administration primarily 1998-0034-F 2 related to the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism. The WHORM Alphabetical Files contains primarily the interactions and correspondence between the Bush administration and the families of the Pan Am 103 bombing victims. The Staff and Office Files contain correspondence, memoranda, and publications maintained by individual staff members and offices. Most of the documents responsive to this FOIA request are contained in the files of the National Security Council. Nearly half of the NSC documents relate to a third party civil suit filed against the United States government by Pan American. In its suit, Pan Am alleged that the United States Government had prior knowledge of an impending terrorist attack on a Pan Am airliner. Pan Am further alleged that terrorists were able to use a government controlled delivery drug operation to circumvent security at the Frankfurt airport and place an explosive device aboard Flight 103 (MDL 799: Pan American World Airways and Alert Management Systems v. United States, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York). Records related to this litigation include court transcripts, affidavits, depositions, motions, objections, reports, and news clippings. In addition, the remaining NSC files deal specifically with the Lockerbie bombing and the subsequent investigation which led to the indictment of two Libyan nationals. Please note that a majority of these documents are closed because of various security classifications. Most of the closed material was provided to the NSC by a variety of agencies including the CIA, NSA, State Department, and Justice Department as well as foreign governments. These files include cables, memoranda, correspondence, decision papers, and option memos. Read less