Frank Duggan

Frank Duggan President of VPAF103, Inc

Frank Duggan is a retired lawyer in the United States and currently leads the official US Lockerbie families group "Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc". Although he is not himself related to a Lockerbie bombing victim, his involvement with the bereaved runs deep - all the way back to 1989 when he was appointed "liaison for the Lockerbie families" on President Bush Snr's President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST).

PCAST appointment

This "blue ribbon panel" was originally to be independent, but wound up being under President Bush’s control. As its chair, Bush selected Ann McLaughlin Korologos (née Lauenstein), who was once Secretary of Labor under Ronald Reagan, as well as having been a director for at least "five major corporations." Frank Duggan had worked as an aide and Assistant Secretary of Labor under her before she picked him as PCAST’s families ambassador. Duggan grew up in Brooklyn, became a cop, and put himself through college, before turning into "a lawyer and a reliable Republican politician who had been a railroad industry lobbyist," wrote Alan Gerson and Jerry Adler in a 2000 book. "Needing someone who could win the trust of mostly middle-class families from the Northeast, many of them Irish or Italian Catholics, McLaughlin couldn’t have done better than Frank Duggan."

In a later interview, Duggan described PCAST as "the Cadillac of Commissions" due to "the quality of its work and the number of recommendations, some 60 of them if I recall." The most memorable passage in the report was "national will and the moral courage to exercise it are the ultimate means for fighting terrorism." The section emphasised missile strikes and covert action, either "preemptive or retaliatory", and was penned by former FBI agent J. Brian Hyland, working from a desk next to Duggan’s. "As Hyland wrote, Duggan kept humming 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' to keep his colleague in a martial frame of mind." [1 pp68-69]

As family liaison officer, Duggan lobbied for their interests and listened to them – concerns, conspiracy theories, plots to hire assassins - with patience and understanding. The families also had a chance to support Duggan when his daughter was crushed into a coma by a drunk driver (she later awoke, but with brain damage). [1 p70] After the Commission he continued lobbying for the families as the trail turned to Libya, indictments, and a 1990’s deadlock. During this time, he went to work for one of the legal teams representing the families, headed by Allan Gerson, whose 2001 book noted that "for six years Duggan had worked for the families and had earned nothing for it except their trust and gratitude." [1 p255-56]

VPAF103, Inc president

Frank Duggan maintained these ties with the families over the years, as "Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc" proved itself a highly effective lobbying group, securing huge payments from Pan Am and then from Libya, netting billions for relatives, lawyers, board members, and so on. But it was not until 2008 that Frank Duggan was offered the presidency of VPAF103, Inc - a post that was usually held by a family member. He told The Scotsman:

"I could not say no to them. I told them I didn't think there was much more to do. Legally and politically the battle was over. Libya was recognised and compensation had been paid. Then they released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and a 20-year-old story was back on the front pages again."

The goals of VPAF103, Inc claim to be to seek justice for the Lockerbie victims and to seek the truth behind the loss of Pan Am Flight 103. But VPAF103, Inc is like no other group in demonstrating the divide between the US victims and those elsewhere - in particular the UK and Europe. On 28 June 2007, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission announced that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi may have "suffered a miscarriage of justice" and should have a second appeal heard. Duggan’s election/appointment was clearly after this omen, and perhaps after Megrahi's September 2008 diagnosis with advanced, terminal cancer. Compassionate release was a known factor at the time, as were prisoner transfer deals already being discussed.

The increased publicity following the convict’s eventual release and inevitable "hero’s welcome" would, predictably, stimulate both anger and also attention to the case. With all this plus more evidence than ever available, 2008 was a year rife with threats to the official stasis – just the time to circle the wagons and re-focus the voice of the American families, the force one dares not be seen as out-of-step with.

Galloway v. Duggan

On 5 September 2009, in a radio interview conducted by telephone, George Galloway MP asked Frank Duggan about the credibility of the Lockerbie witness Tony Gauci. Duggan stated he believed Gauci to be "an honourable man just trying to do the right thing" despite his evidence being called into question by the SCCRC report. Furthermore Galloway asked why Gauci was paid several million US dollars for his evidence to which Duggan replied:

"No he wasn’t, who said that?" – a matter which is on public record that Gauci was paid. Added to the fact that Duggan was "not that familiar with what he said" we can clearly see Frank Duggan is not very well versed on the evidence.

Frank Duggan went on to repeat that fact that "8″ Judges found Megrahi Guilty in a court of law "now you can choose to believe Robert Black, Dr Jim Swire and all of these other 'Cranks' or you can believe the [8] Judges" showing the firm belief he has in Megrahi’s guilt is based on his "in-depth" knowledge of testimony, and any deviation from that official version is the work of 'Cranks'.

One clear difference that shows here is that VPAF103, Inc consensus is that Megrahi is Guilty but they, especially their president, are largely unaware of the facts of the evidence and testimony. Compared to those who have bothered to look at the evidence, witness testimony, court proceedings and independent research who are convinced of a miscarriage of justice. These 'Cranks' include the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, Dr Jim Swire, Robert Black QC, Hans Köchler (UN Observer), Edwin Bollier (MEBO), John Ashton, Patrick Haseldine and many, many more.

George Galloway's short interview centered on Tony Gauci’s evidence, which Duggan called "reliable" and "natural," while admitting he didn't know what the man actually said. The high point was Duggan loudly and repeatedly denying the $2 million reward for Gauci as a rumour with no substance. Duggan cut short the interview by hanging up.

"A breath of fresh air"

In December 2010, Adam Larson (aka 'Caustic Logic') wrote an article sarcastically accusing the Maltese government and Air Malta of complicity in Megrahi’s plot to destroy Pan Am Flight 103. Larson even suggested the UK sever the "axis of malice between Valletta and Tripoli" by re-conquering the island. Frank Duggan wasn’t the only commenter to miss the fine-tuned sarcasm, but he was the only one who sided with what he saw, and called it: "a welcome change from the bilge we have to read from the Libya shills." Said shills, he explained, "have no shame and cannot be embarrassed by the facts." And Duggan thanked Larson for his "efforts to publish the truth," and said "you are like a breath of fresh air."

Father Patrick Keegans

Nine days after Frank Duggan praised Larson's article, the solemn anniversary arrived - 21 years exactly after the event that started all of this (Lockerbie Bombing of 21 December 1988). VPAF103, Inc always has had a controlling say in the annual ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. It wasn’t Frank Duggan, but the board of which he was president, that voted to disallow the remarks they had solicited from Father Patrick Keegans. As the parish priest of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, Fr Keegans came within yards of being a Pan Am 103 victim himself. He had bonded with the American and all families who came to the area, and has often been asked for his thoughtful remarks.

But this time Fr Keegans opted to express his feeling that Megrahi was innocent, and that either way his release was justified by Christian compassion for a dying man. Well that’s just not the right message for Arlington. Frank Duggan said they try to "avoid a discussion of the bomber's trial and conviction or of his health," or "any political statements or any discussions of the convicted bomber." President Obama’s counter-terror point man John Brennan was on-hand with some more neutral, appropriate, apolitical messages: "The trial was fair. The guilt of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi - unjustified release - a deplorable scene on a tarmac in Tripoli - those who assisted him."

To their credit, the board did send the Fr Keegans' speech to members by e-mail, so they know his stance in that odd corner with Dr Swire and a few other Brits and, it seems, absolutely none of the hundreds closely related to the 190 Americans killed. Clearly what Frank Duggan meant is that December 21 is a time to remember that we’ve got everything figured out, and that - America’s ability to secure a politically expedient conviction by means will be thy solace as the bell tolls at that name that pulls the heartstrings.

Guilt of Megrahi

In his debate with George Galloway, Mr Duggan was unsure how many families he represented, but when asked "whether there unanimity amongst the families in the United States," as opposed the widely divergent opinion of UK victims, he responded "Yes there is. I can tell you that. There’s a difference of opinion as to how compassionate we should be. But there’s no difference of opinion as to the guilt of Mr Megrahi". I don’t know how to explain it: eight judges have already looked at this and decided the man was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There’s no question in anyone’s mind that I know of who’s looked at the evidence. The man - was - guilty."

In June 2010, the Daily Mail opined on Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam calling Tony Blair an adviser of Tripoli’s, and reported that "last night, families of the 270 Lockerbie victims accused Mr Blair of breaking bread with people who 'have blood on their hands'." The actual quote was "It's important for world peace that Libya is brought back into the community of nations but that doesn't mean that you have to honour people with blood on their hands." They say the quote was spoken to them by Frank Duggan. He isn't even one of the 270 victims' relatives, let alone "families of the 270," but he will keep speaking as if that’s so. And there are structural reasons they’ll continue to obligingly let him, and to say the same things when they speak for themselves.

Blood money

As mentioned above, Frank Duggan had in the mid-1990s joined one of the legal teams representing the Pan Am Flight 103 families, and apparently was again a family liaison. In June 1995 Gerson asked him "whether he thought the family members would support a "suit against Libya," the lawyer’s book explained. "George Williams – at that time president of Victims of Pan Am 103 – polled the members of his board." They had earlier rejected a similar idea by fellow survivor Bruce Smith, "but now, Duggan reported back to Gerson, the board was unanimously in favour." [1 p229] Duggan added the following, articulating a central theme of Gerson’s book – "The Price of Terror":

"Since the majority will still consider monetary compensation ‘blood money,’ the award must be punitive as well as compensatory and be large enough to discourage any government from ever contemplating support for another terrorist act. The families have not made their political efforts for money, rather they have made it for justice and to leave some legacy in the names of their lost loved ones." [1 p230]

Of course this punishment, "justice" and "legacy" would take the form of huge piles of money. If it’s a problem, is a whole lot more of it the answer? One can also be excused for wondering what role the justice/legacy/punishment money from Libya – an average $10 million per each of the 270 victims – has had in keeping the family members who accepted it quiet about any tiny, itching doubts they might harbour.

Frank Duggan will always help maintain the confidence that they got it right, and assure those left behind that they do not need to re-open, with a critical eye, the trial transcripts they were all given. The families are best equipped to keep that fuzzy view of the end picture and just remind the world as needed - with or without Frank's help - that the heart-stricken families of the far-fallen are ironclad behind the government’s case.

"A search for justice"

On 19 April 2012, Frank Duggan wrote a letter to Libya’s Ambassador to the US, Ali Aujali, in response to an on-line article in The Independent which linked calls for continued investigations into the Lockerbie bombing ploys for "re-opening existing settlements.":

Dear Ambassador Aujali:

We are concerned with the attached news article, although we know that so many of these press reports are speculative and incorrect. We were very pleased and assured by your statements at Arlington Cemetery last December 21st that the new government of Libya would continue the investigation of the Lockerbie bombing. I want to assure you that the families of the US victims of this bombing have no intention of seeking monetary compensation. Our efforts were never about money but instead were a search for justice. The conviction of Mr Megrahi was important, as was the decision of the Scottish court that it was an act of state sponsored terrorism, and everyone knows that Mr Megrahi did not act alone. Whoever is speculating that there is a desire for more compensation is not helping our mutual search for the truth. Thank you for your help and your friendship.

Best regards,

Frank Duggan,

VPAF103, Inc