From 21st of December 1995. Read here, how William Clinton uses religion and the crash of Pan Am 103 for his own election purposes....
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 3, 1995
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN CAIRN MEMORIAL DEDICATION
IN HONOR OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103
Arlington National Cemetery
2:37 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Sir Hector, Jane Schultz, George
Williams, Reverend Keegans, Reverend Miller, Reverend Neal, Rabbi
Goldberg; to members of Congress and the administration, the
diplomatic corps; to our honored friends from Scotland; most of all,
to the members of the family of Pan Am 103. Thank you, Sir Hector,
for your good words. And thank you and the Lockerbie Trust for this
beautiful cairn which I accept on behalf of the people of the United
States.
This simple monument speaks with a powerful voice. Each
of its 270 Lockerbie stones tells of the loss beyond measure -- a
child or a parent, a brother or a sister, stolen away through an act
of unspeakable barbarism.
Almost seven years have now passed since that bomb cut
short the lives of all 250 passengers of Pan Am 103 and the 11
villagers below. I know that I can speak for all the American people
when I say that we have not forgotten and the families of the victims
are still not alone in your sorrow.
Since Pan Am 103, there have been other attacks of
terrorism on our own soil -- the bombing of the World Trade Center,
the tragedy in Oklahoma City. After each, our nation has drawn
closer, and some of the families here of the victims at Lockerbie
have helped in that process. I thank all of you who reached out to
those who were grieving most recently in Oklahoma City.
Despite the passage of time, nothing has dimmed our
recollection of that day when death commanded the heavens. Nothing
has diminished our outrage at that evil deed. Today the people of
the United States understand terrorism better. We know it can strike
anyone, anywhere. We know that each act of terrorism is a terrible
assault on every person in the world who prizes freedom, on the
values we share, on our nation and every nation that respects human
rights.
Today, America is more determined than ever to stand
against terrorism, to fight it, to bring terrorists to answer for
their crimes. We continue to tighten those sanctions on states that
sponsor terrorism, and we ask other nations to help us in that
endeavor.
We are strengthening our ability to act at home and
around the world. Recently, we have been successful in apprehending
terrorists abroad and in preventing planned terrorist attacks here in
the United States. We are redoubling our efforts against those who
target our liberties and our lives. And just a few days ago in the
United Nations, I asked the nations of the world to join me in common
cause against terrorism.
In the case of Pan Am 103, we continue to press for the
extradition of the two Libyan suspects. We want to maintain and
tighten the enforcement of our sanctions, and we want to increase the
pressure on Libya. This cairn reminds of that we must never, never
relax our efforts until the criminals are brought to justice.
(Applause.)
I thank those who have spoken before for their reference
to this hallowed ground. It is fitting that this memorial to the
citizens of 21 nations has been erected here in the sacred place of
our nation, surrounded by so many who fell fighting for our freedom.
It is fitting, too, that this cairn was chosen as the embodiment of
our common concern, not only because of the strong bonds that have
grown up between the people of Scotland and America out of this
tragedy, but because this cairn was built stone by stone.
From the time of the Bible, men and women have piled
stones to mark a covenant between them as the patriarch, Jacob, did
with Laban. So let us take this cairn as the sign of our bond with
the victims of Pan Am 103 to remember the life they brought into so
many lives, to work to bring justice down on those who committed the
murders, to keep our own people safe and to rid the world of
terrorism, and never to forget until this job is done.
We must all labor for the day, my fellow Americans and
citizens of the world, when, in the word of the Psalm, "e;we shall not
be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by
day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the
destruction that wasteth at noonday."e;
The days are now shortening, and December 21st
approaches once again. I hope, to those of you who are members of
the families that the honor done your loved ones here today brings
you some solace. And I pray that when this anniversary day comes
again you will have a measure of peace. Your countrymen and women
are with you in spirit and in determination.
God bless you. God bless Scotland. And God bless the
United States of America. (Applause.)
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