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26th November 2009, 06:24 AM | #41 |
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26th November 2009, 06:39 PM | #42 |
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The integrity of the investigation is most certainly in question. As this thread is specifically about Tony Gauci's evidence, I really don't want to digress into all that. It's been well aired elsewhere. You know, while it's refreshing to have someone come along and question the issue, it gets a bit wearing to be told how to approach the matter by someone who quite clearly doesn't have much familiarity with the evidence. Given that we know there was something wrong with the investigation, and that the two main planks of the case for the Official Version are extremely shaky indeed if not actually broken, the point is to try out some other speculative explanations for the evidence we have, and see if they fly. Now the way to shoot down such speculation isn't to declare that the speculation is illegitimate, it's to find the evidence to counter it. That's what I'm trying to do in this thread. The exact list of what Gauci says was bought in this memorable transaction is relevant, with his various changes of mind and when these happened. The exact list of the items found with apparent blast damage, and when they were identified, is also important. There are also records of stock at that shop, and when items were ordered, that might support one point of view or another. This evidence is where the answer may lie, not in just blindly deciding that any fanciful explanation that happens to fit in with the Official Version must be credible. Maybe I'm being lazy in trying to recruit others to look at this evidence with me, but it's working in a couple of other threads. Yes, of course it's possible. Just as it's possible that the Maltese clothes in the bomb bag came from Abu Talb's factory-sourced purchases, and Gauci managed to convince the investigators that they'd been bought in his shop by some sort of Clever Hans trick. Arguing about which is more probable (and to be honest, the point about the timing of the explosion is for the timer thread, this isn't the place to get into that) can only get us so far. Looking at the evidence is likely to be more constructive. I don't see it as necessary to know exactly what evidence might remain from an aircraft crash on land, to propose that anyone planning such a crash is likely to take all reasonable steps to minimise the possibility of identifiable evidence remaining. I'm seriously losing you here. You're suggesting that even if we accept that Megrahi doesn't appear to be the person who bought the clothes, and even though there appears to be no way the bomb bag could have been got onto KM180 (by him or by anyone else), maybe he's guilty anyway? Even though the court accepted the submission of "no case to answer" against Fhimah, and he was acquitted, somehow maybe he did it anyway? I'm sorry, you're going to have to do better than that. And to do that, you really need to find out what we're actually talking about, I'm afraid. Look, I don't think anyone has suggested it's impossible for Gauci to have remembered this transaction, and got a lot of the details right. However, I don't think you even know what Gauci said, let aone that you've made any useful suggestions. Do you think it was raining in Sliema in the early evening of 7th December, even though meteorology records from only 3 miles away record not a drop? Do you think the purchase is more likely to have taken place before the Christmas lights were lit, as Gauci said in his first version, or after, as he said after the investigators (who knew Megrahi had an alibi for the earlier date) had pressed him on the matter? Do you think that Gauci, who was certain the transaction occurred midweek, would have remembered if the following day had been a public holiday when his shop was shut? Do you think that someone who is officially "an apple short of a picnic" is really likely to have a phenomenal memory? (I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not something I'd want to base a case on.) Do you see any complexity in Megrahi that makes him stand out? 5 feet 8 inches, average build, 36 years old, photos show a generally unremarkable man. Have you compared that to Gauci's original description of the purchaser as being over 6 feet tall, 50 years old or more, and heavily built (I think the word was "burly")? What do you think of Gauci's later disclaimer on this point that he wasn't good at estimating height and build - considering that the man sold clothes for a living? Do you appreciate that Gauci never positively identified Megrahi, but merely said he resembled the purchaser - based on head-only mug-shots taking no account of height or build, and even then usually qualifying it by saying he was too young? That by the time he finally saw the man in the flesh, half the population of Camp Zeist could have picked him out of a line-up, so widely had his photograph been distributed? Oh yes, and 12 years had corrected one of the problems. What is your view of the role of Paul Gauci, continually urging his brother to make an identification that the police would like, and talking to the police about money and rewards? Paul who was given $1 million of his own for keeping Tony up to the mark, on top of the £2 million Tony got for helping secure a conviction? What about all the inducements offered to the Gaucis during the interview process - free holidays in Scotland just for starters? Have you read the reports by the psychiatric experts in human memory who have looked at Gauci's multiple and changing statements and pointed out the multiple problems? Do you realise that certain primary procedural errors were made that would render the exercise wide open to the "Clever Hans" effect? 'Cos if you've considered all these issues, I'd be very grateful if you'd discuss the specifics of them. But if you haven't, then I respectfully submit that vague handwaving about "it's still possible he did it anyway" isn't going to cut a lot of ice. I'm very well aware that there are two sides to this question, both of which have to be considered. That's not the same as making mutually exclusive arguments. It's a question of probabilities. Look at it from the point of view of the terrorist. Is it probable that the owner of a small retail shop in a holiday resort out of season, who serves a customer last thing in the evening when the shop is empty, and the customer buys an unusual assortment of goods without seeming to take any care in selecting his purchases, will be able to identify that purchaser later (maybe only a few weeks later, remember)? Well, no, I wouldn't think it probable. But would I think it possible? You bet your bottom dollar I would! I'm hyped up, I'm planning serious international mayhem, I'd want to leave as little to chance as possible. So frankly, I'd go to a charity shop or two, on a busy weekend. But on the other hand, look at what actually happened. The shopkeeper isn't actually questioned until nine months after the purchase. A whole summer season has come and gone. And yet he remembers! Well, he remembers selling the items, he says (though the details do get quite a lot less certain in subsequent interviews). Can he, reliably, recognise the purchaser again? (If he can't, and knows he can't, is he going to say so, with the inducement of a large amount of money on one side and his brother nagging at him on the other?) Seriously, what do you think? Please familiarise yourself with the evidence, and then come back and defend that last point, if you still want to. On what grounds are you "fairly certain"? I keep coming back to your apparent lack of familiarity with the evidence, all of which is circumstantial by the way. If indeed you do know what that evidence is, would you mind actually discussing the specifics rather than this vague hand-waving? You don't actually know anything about this, do you? What is your opinion of Majid Giaka? Do you think he was telling the truth, even though the court threw his evidence out as being a pack of lies? On what grounds do you come to that conclusion? Do you think luggage tray 8849 really did contain a piece of luggage that flew into Frankfurt on KA180? How do you square that with the evidence that there were no unaccompanied or unaccounted-for bags on that flight? Do you agree that the Bedford/Kamboj suitcase is irrelevant? As is the break-in at Heathrow airport the evening before the crash? (If that was so irrelevant, do you know why that evidence was withheld from the original trial?) No actually, don't answer these - or not in this thread. Each of these is worth its own thread, and of course the unaccompanied bag from Malta has one already. In two of the other threads, evidence has been dredged up which knocks down a number of speculative theories. It looks as if Bogomira Erac might have been telling the truth both times even though it appeared she'd said two different things. It looks as if the MST-13 fragment might really have existed in the chain of evidence in May of 1989. That's how we're whittling this down. By looking at the available facts. Not by refusing to look at the available facts. Rolfe. |
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27th November 2009, 01:21 AM | #43 |
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Well, fine. Nearly all evidence presented here makes perfect sense from the terrorists' point of view. It can be made to make sense if he was being framed, but the same could be said for any criminal investigation that produces suspects.
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I imagine that if he knew what he knows now, he'd time the blast to two hours later. He didn't know all that, however, it's not a difficult mistake to make.
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This goes for any crime. I know legally not being proven something and not doing something are the same, but in reality, they are not. Court mistakes are a painful reality. [quote]Do you think that someone who is officially "an apple short of a picnic" is really likely to have a phenomenal memory? (I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not something I'd want to base a case on.)[//quote] I certainly agree this is a less than optimal way to prosecute someone.
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I've deleted a few comments, because I tihnk I'd just be repeating myself. The evidence you presented here is not inconsistent with a terrorist attack. The Gaucis' testimony is questionable and implausible, but not impossible. This, in itself, does not prove a conspiracy to do, well, anything. It could be used to explain a conspiracy if it were proven, but that's where it ends.
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On what grounds are you "fairly certain"? I keep coming back to your apparent lack of familiarity with the evidence, all of which is circumstantial by the way. If indeed you do know what that evidence is, would you mind actually discussing the specifics rather than this vague hand-waving?
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27th November 2009, 02:58 AM | #44 |
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As I said, I started the thread to discuss the clothes purchase at Mary's Shop, and the evidence of Tony Gauci. However, I started it to discuss the specifics of that, which you haven't even come close to touching. I don't recall presenting any evidence, as such. I presented a range of speculations, for discusson, in the light of the evidence which exists. Now if you don't want to examine these speculations, for whatever reason, then that's fine. You seem to me to be saying that you feel speculating about other possible explanations is illegitimate, so long as there is even the remotest possibility that the person convicted actually did it - even to the point of declaring that even if the evidence against him was false or misinterpreted, that's OK because maybe he did it anyway but we don't have that evidence! That's your prerogative. However, posting lengthy contributions which actually amount to little more than handwaving, doesn't really advance anything. If you could even explain to us why you think it's likely that the mystery shopper was indeed Abdelbaset al Megrahi, that would be helpful. However, you're not even going that far. You seem to be saying that you don't want to examine the evidence, but you object to speculation about the interpretation anyway. Look, if you can explain to me why you think it's likely that Megrahi was the purchaser of these clothes in Mary's House on 7th December 1988, based on the evidence available, then I think we have a discussion. But if you're just going to keep sayng "well, I don't see why he shouldn't have been", then it's all a bit of a waste of time. Rolfe. |
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27th November 2009, 04:10 AM | #45 |
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Heavens no. By all means, discuss other options and evidence for them, present them however you wish. However, some - in fact, the majority - of evidence (or however you call it) you presented in favor of that option here is, in fact, falls in line quite well with the prosecutions' case, whereas you claimed it is heavily inconsistent with that case.
It is not. That doesn't mean the prosecutions' case is necessarily correct, nor does the fact it is consistent with a different narrative mean it is necessarily wrong.
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27th November 2009, 08:00 AM | #46 |
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You still seem to be under the impression that I posted evidence. I did not. I posted speculation about what might actually be behind the Gauci evidence, if (as seems extremely likely) the person he apparently identified was not in fact the purchaser. This took the form of "brainstorming" as many possibilities as I could think of, including the frankly unlikely. Noting that a brainstorming session has come up with some unlikely scenarios doesn't negate the exercise as a whole. We don't know what was going on in relation to that purchase. Looking at all considerations, including that fact that it was a strange thing to do, is not on the face of it unreasonable. You misunderstand. Asking you to defend the assertion that Megrahi purchased the clothes is not changing the subject, it is rewinding for the benefit of someone who has just come in. If Megrahi was indeed the purchaser, or probably the purchaser, then indeed speculation is a bit academic. However if he wasn't the purchaser, or probably wasn't the purchaser, then what do we have but speculation? The key to showing that speculation is unjustified, is to show that Megrahi was probably the man who purchased these clothes. Rolfe. |
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27th November 2009, 02:29 PM | #47 |
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27th November 2009, 03:41 PM | #48 |
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I don't expect McHronzi or anyone to quote all of a long post of mine and respond to every point, obviously. However, after realising that I was rather missing responses to the points I'd been most hoping would be addressed, I went through my earlier post to see what he's chosen not to respond to.
Here's some of it. A lot of very specific questions, all ignored in favour of remarks such as, perhaps Megrahi reminded Gauci of someone else (even though that has never been suggested), and the real cracker, just because the evidence isn't good enough to convict someone doesn't mean they didn't do it. I gave an awful lot of hints in that post about the nature of the important questions raised by the evidence. But McHronzi doesn't seem to want to address any of them. He just wants to dream up some scenario which he imagines might support the Official Version, even though he doesn't even know what the Official Version actually is. Is this scepticism, I ask myself? Rolfe. |
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27th November 2009, 03:57 PM | #49 |
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It would be very useful to have someone conversant with the evidence put forward the case that Gauci's identification of Megrahi was probably correct. I've yet to see anyone do it. Even the judges seemed rather at a loss, resorting to the peculiar logic that they believed him because he was hesitant and unsure and unwilling to make a definite statement. When we finally persuaded Richard Marquise to elaborate on his standard position that there was a shedload of evidence, all he managed was to say that the judges went with it so he doesn't have to explain any further. The SCCRC said they had identified six counts where they believed there might have been a miscarriage of justice, but they only told us about four of them. They were mostly about Gauci, questioning the judges' persistent preference for going for the less likely possibility every time, so long as that was the one that favoured Megrahi as the purchaser. As you say, if we lose that identification, it opens up so much to speculation. Who did buy these clothes? Was there even a mystery shopper at all? How much of Gauci's testimony is actually the Clever Hans effect? What was the role of the Maltese police, who appear to have more or less escorted the Scottish police directly from the clothes manufacturer to Mary's House? I hope we might at least be able to narrow down the possibilities if we look more closely at the actual evidence. And I'd like to point out to McHronzi that just as it's possible for a guilty person to go free if the evidence isn't good enough, it's also possible for an innocent person to be convicted. Blindly repeating "but even if most of the evidence was wrong or misinterpreted, maybe he did it anyway", isn't much of an argument. Rolfe. |
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27th November 2009, 05:07 PM | #50 |
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In view of some contributors who may or may not be fully aware of the SCCRC's (Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission) finding made in relation the original trial and judgement at Camp Zeist, it is perhaps worthwhile reacquainting ourselves with the some of the findings made, thereby resulting in the 2nd Appeal for Megrahi which was in process until dropped in order to aid his application for compassionate release.
The report runs to over 800 pages, of which only 14 pages were made public, and determined 6 grounds on which to refer the case to the appeal court, of which only 4 grounds were made public. The act of restricting elements of the appeal decision and it's grounds for appeal are unprecedented. I think everyone would welcome new contributions for or against to the OP assertions and the questions that it legitimately raises. This thread, in relation to the Pan Am 103 tragedy over Lockerbie, and more specifically the vital evidence given by Tony Gauci throughout the investigation and at the trial itself, and as determined by the SCCRC, together with a growing body of opinion throughout the wider World, that there were many problems and issues surrounding Guci's evidence. These are important issues that deserve at the very least further discussion and investigation, if not a full public inquiry. Below are excerpts from the SCCRC statement on recommending Megrahi's case to appeal and which relate precisely to this thread.
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27th November 2009, 05:44 PM | #51 |
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Thanks, Buncrana, that was a very timely reminder.
Maybe McHronzi will declare that even if Gauci has no clue what the purchaser of the clothes looked like, that doesn't mean it couldn't have been Megrahi. But that isn't the point. Alongside the questionable identification evidence we have the evidence that the purchase Gauci is trying to describe took place on a day when Megrahi was proved to be elsewhere. Maybe McHronzi will declare that even if someone other than Megrahi bought the clothes, that doesn't mean Megrahi couldn't have put the bomb on the plane. This, however, ignores the fact that Gauci's identification evidence is the only thing that actually links Megrahi to the bombing. If the identification is reliable, then details that would otherwise be irrelevant can be made to look suspicious - such as the fact that he was at Luqa airport on the morning of 21st December, or that he had business dealings with Edwin Bollier. However, if the identification falls, so do these other points - they literally become irrelevant. McHronzi, how many hoops are you prepared to jump through in your quest to defend the Official Version without actually doing any homework on it? Rolfe. ETA: I think the homework should include these documents. Professor Timothy Valentine Professor Steven Clark |
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27th November 2009, 06:26 PM | #52 |
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Buncrana, what do you think of the possibility that Gauci's evidence was largely a result of a "Clever Hans" situation - I don't just mean the picking out of Megrahi after what seems to have been quite a lot of prompting, I mean the sale as a whole?
He was first approached by the local police, it seems, who must have been searching for Maltese shops stocking the particular Maltese-manufactured clothes found at Lockerbie. I don't know if we have any information on how they went about this. Presumably they had lists of retailers from the manufacturers, and visited those shops asking about possible purchases. I don't know how many shops they visited where the shopkeeper said, sorry, haven't a clue. Evidently, they eventually found Tony "sandwich short of a picnic" Gauci, who didn't say he hadn't a clue. He starts to describe a purchase, and a purchaser. But what was he describing? How much did the Maltese police know about the specifics of the clothes, and how much might he have been feeding off their knowledge even then? (Did they mention an umbrella? A tweed jacket?) How sure are we that he was really remembering selling the clothes in the bomb bag, as opposed to building a house of cards supplied by the investigators, on the foundation of a memory of a purchase that had nothing to do with PA103? Maybe the purchase David Wright witnessed? I know there are some aspects (the umbrella and the tweed jacket) that point to the purchase really being of the clothing in question. I'm not entirely convinced though. There is evidence of receipts and supplier orders to support some of this, but have you any opinion on where the best source for this information is? I don't know whether there's anything there that would support a purchase likely to be of the PA103 items, or whether it was only looked at to see if it could assist in fixing the date. For myself, I'm as reasonably certain as I can be that whatever happened, Megrahi didn't buy those clothes. (At least until McHronzi comes and explains how I'm wrong about that.) However, I'm not sure if we know whether we have to think about who did buy them, in Mary's House, on 23rd November, or whether there is genuine doubt about whether anything from Mary's House actually ended up in that suitcase at all. I'm conscious of the peculiar nature of the purchase in the context of packing a terrorist device (someone in another thread said it sounded like a man with more money than time buying Christmas presents), and I'm also conscious of the incongruity of suggesting Abu Talb might have been the purchaser (which seems to be the line the police were originally pursuing) when Abu Talb already had a stack of Maltese clothes he got from the factories. Rolfe. |
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28th November 2009, 02:37 AM | #53 |
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Poor McHrozni. Sorry mate, you do fail here, but its okay to sit back and learn. It's a hard issue to get into for most folks.
ETA: I do appreciate tho your earnestness and to your credit, if I understand, you agree at least that: 1) The alleged sequence of Megrahi's Malta-centric plot is less than optimal from a strategic POV and 2) Gauci's testimony and identification are less than ideal as evidence. If these are both true assessments then I think we can move forward together. That's exactly what I almost complained about a bit back. We haven't even barely got started here. There's a lot out there, solid articles, primary sources, the videos, and so far just a few links and a lot of general talk on opinions and attempted debunk-ish sophistry. That's fine too, but we're on page 2 now. There's lots to look at, but what does anyone say to some raw trial questioning of Mr. Gauci? I think it took days to get it to where the judges were satisfied. I'd also be curious what traces we have of the various police interviews, or even a list of how many there were, and when, and so on. A real skeptic, as I think McHrozni was trying to say, is aware of their own bias and that it can lead to seeing things that aren't there. But one also looks at the evidence closely to see what's there, what they see there or think they might see, anything, as a start. |
28th November 2009, 04:27 AM | #54 |
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What I want to do is figure out where we actually are, as clearly as we can.
With the MST-13 timer, thanks mainly to Dan O., we figured out that it hasn't been substituted after the earliest record of its existence, and that unless the red-circle photo's provenance is doubtful (which we don't know), it was genuinely present in the chain of evidence on 12th May 1989. This is a solid advance which aids discussion enormously. With Bogomira, we established that although she seems to have told two separate stories, this is probably not the case (just reporting variation), and whatever the truth of what she was saying, the Frankfurt police were chasing baggage records for KA180 as early as February 1989. This is also a solid advance which helps to narrow down the possibilities. So far, we haven't made any progress with Tony. I'd like to know whether the clothes found at Lockerbie actually did come from his shop, or whether it's possible he's simply responded to a lot of leading questions with the answers he thought the police wanted, and which would get him a nice fat reward. I suspect we can figure this out, but we haven't really started. I don't know what McHronzi was trying to argue, to be honest. He just kept saying "I have shown that there are possible explanations (some quite fanciful) which might support the general "Libya did it" story, although I'm not really sure what that entails." It's a fault I see with many posters on here. If they see an argument which might be supportive of something woo, or a CT, or anything like that, they immediately leap in with counter-arguments rejecting the woo or the CT, even though they actually have no idea what they're talking about, and no grasp of the case they're arguing against. I hope McHronzi will do some homework, and come back and discuss this from an informed position. However, his immediate accusation that looking at whether or not Megrahi had been identified as the mystery shopper was changing the subject, wasn't encouraging - as that is in fact the basis for the entire thesis. Believe Megragi was probably the purchaser, end of story. However, believe Megrahi was not, or was unlikely to have been, the purchaser, and many possibilities open up. Rolfe. |
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28th November 2009, 04:29 AM | #55 |
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29th November 2009, 06:42 PM | #56 |
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I'll hopefully catch up with a few thoughts tomorrow, suffice to say if Gauci wanted to exhibit the traits of a man looking for financial compensation for identifying a man who he was plainly unsure of, he couldn't played the role better. When life-changing sums are known to be available for a conviction, it does not neccessarily serve the cause of truth. Indeed, those of lesser principles may be inclined to decorate and assist their stories and their roles. Does possible fame, or notoriety, only to be replaced by greed and fear, have some consequence on an individuals recollection? It certainly must. It is the tacit acceptance by the judges and crown (perhaps not when you consider their 'star' witness) of Gauci as a witness, obviously being coerced and influenced by many factors, resulting in the vague and contradictory statements that should be given any credence in court never mind a pillar of the conviction is astounding.
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29th November 2009, 06:52 PM | #57 |
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I started this game saying that one thing we knew, was that Tony Gauci had seen one of the gang, if only he could have identified him.
I'm now wondering if the details of the clothes themselves might have been "Clever Hans" effect, with Gauci playing along with the suggestions of (presumably at first) the Maltese police, along with a vague memory of an actual sale - possibly someone in a hurry looking for gifts, or the transaction David Wright says he witnessed. I'm wondering if we actually do have evidence to show that the blast-damaged clothing really came from Gauci's shop, or if he just happened to stock that stuff, and was pliable when the police came asking questions. Rolfe. |
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29th November 2009, 07:42 PM | #58 |
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I finally looked up Clever Hans and I gotta say that's a smart horse to even read "unconscious" cues that consistently and precisely. This raises the bar a bit for Tony. I'm sure he was more than capable of similar feats.
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29th November 2009, 11:57 PM | #59 |
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And these again are homework PDFs.
Professor Timothy Valentine Professor Steven Clark I'll take these as prime reference material then. They were compiled by the defense, so that may insert a bias, but anyone else can feel fre to bring in the crown's or FBI's detailed anlyses. Clark lists the materials he reviewed - an impressive list. Just the statements helps to anchor down some basic details to build off of, Re-ordered, chronologically, below. Statements of Anthony Gauci, - 1 September, 1989 (Prod. No. 452) (listed twice) - 13 September, 1989 (Prod. Nos. 455, 456, 457)t - 14 September, 1989 (Prod. No. 458) - 19 September, 1989 (Prod. No. 454) - 26 September, 1989 (Prod. No. 459, 460, 461) (listed twice) - 2 October, 1989 (Prod. No. 463) - 4 October, 1989 (Prod. No. 462) (listed twice) - 19 October, 1989 - 30 January, 1990 (Prod. No. 464) - 31 January, 1990 (Prod. No. 465) - 21 February, 1990 (Prod. No. 466) - 5 March 1990 (Prod. No. 467) - 31 August, 1990 (Prod. No. 468) - 10 September 1990 (Prod. No. 469) - 15 February 1991 (Prod. No. 470) - 4 November, 1991 (Prod. No. 471) - 18 March 1999 (Crown precognition, Floriana, Malta) - 13 April, 1999 (Identification Parade at Camp Zeist) - 25th August 1999 (Crown precognition, Dumfries, Scotland) (both statements summarized in one document). - 8 October, 1999 (Defence precognition) Seventeen statements in about two years, then Anthony was back burner for over seven years. First witness parade was held after the famous transfer of the suspect - in front of the world's eyes - to Zeist in 1999. He pointed to the right guy, I hear. Looks like the first known interview was Sept 1 1989. I'm sure that's been mentioned a few times but I'm getting it now too. That's swift. Made in Malta tags they had, traceability they had from these only but it hadn't apparently led them to Mary's House yet. All that changed prior to September was the printout from Frankfurt *showing* a possible bomb bag originating from Malta. Aug 17 that was received in the UK. Just two weeks later with this new fire under their butts they did what? Aggressively canvass all Malta asking all shopkeepers? Suddenly realize the tag numbers indicate certain batches sold to a certain place? Do you know, Rolfe, how anyone has explained just which path led to that store? Anyway they found Anthony less than two weeks after having Malta more explicitly indicated. After all you can't just rush into these things, you need to be led there - o so cautiously - by the evidence itself, which just kept appearing like bread crumbs. Another 16 talks later they finally had enough to say close enough for the indictment, which I suspect was supposed to be the final word on the issue. - Adam |
30th November 2009, 03:46 PM | #60 |
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There are apparently several statements missing too. Maybe as many as five. They just vanished and no copies exist. I wonder what he said on these days?
I understand it was the Maltese police who pretty much trotted Gauci up for inspection. To me, this suggests earlier interviews which extablished that Gauci was the retailer they were looking for. Along with interviews of other shopkeepers who said, sorry officer I can't help you there. I suspect this information is somewhere but I'm not sure where to look. I wonder if McHronzi is coming back? I'd be happy to discuss this with anyone who has taken the trouble to become informed. Rolfe. |
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1st December 2009, 04:58 PM | #61 |
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I think both conscious and unconscious prompting, suggestions and gestures would be inevitable during Gauci's interviews. I think a complex mix of being involved in major Worldwide incident, knowledge of financial rewards possible, contemplation of the enormity of their evidence, fearful of consequences, and intense expectation from authority, could also all have had a major influence on Gauci's recollection, statements and eventual evidence.
I'm sure he'd be well aware of the eagerness for the investigators for him to remember. If not, as has been suggested he was not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, I doubt the investigators would have any qualms in aiding and coercing in order to achieve, even if vaguely, a corroborating statement. Even unaware of 'Clever Hans', alas not even Tony would be ignorant of the gravity and consequences together with compensation available for his evidence. More -so when you're given 11 years to consider it. Nuances such rain, christmas lights and football games, could be changed again and again by Gauci, yet these inconsistencies were simply brushed aside by the investigators and judges. Quite how anyone, let alone a court of law, could grant credibility to his evidence, given all these complexities and the lapses in recollection over the period, is jaw dropping. Tying down a time line for the discovery, identification and evidence about the searching is also problematic. It does seem his first 'official' interview was late August '89. Here he mentions some items bought and provides a description for a sketch artist. This apparently suggests a resemblance to Abu Talb. And mentions rain and the Christmas lights. I'm also pretty sure Megrahi didn't buy these clothes. There does seem to be some irregular stories around some of the items of clothing which were apparently discovered and those presented as evidence at the trial. Much like the 'timer fragment', there appears to be a veritable host of unexplained and unsatisfactory processes involved in recording and examination of some of the clothing. However, as it stands, I still feel the clothes wrapped around the bomb were bought from Mary's House. I do also however, recognise that the fact the items that were sold were apparently inconsistent, therefore more memorable it was claimed. I would contend however It would appear this shop sold an assortment of items for a reason: they sold. Nine months after the fact, he may well have had some recollection of some of these items being sold – but to one specific individual whom he can identify and recall the entire purchase? Highly improbable. This could be where David Wrights evidence could be of crucial importance. Was it someone resembling Talb that Wright saw? Did he see someone leave the shop, at just before 7pm, raise an umbrella and hail a taxi on the 23rd?? It could quite easily have been 2, or 3 or even 4 different sales Gauci was recollecting all merging into one, he is very aware, very important sale. The investigators seemingly were simply not interested eventually in Talb. Perhaps more importantly because the road to Talb also leads to Khreesat. And no one wants to go anywhere near Khreesat whatsoever. The fact was at Zeist he ended up still not saying enough for the Judges to somehow find it rational without them declaring the absurd notion that someone who is unsure of an identity carries more reliability than that of someone who is absolute in their certainty! |
2nd December 2009, 01:36 AM | #62 |
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How can people not consider these things? Memory being only what it is naturally, to put this much pressure on it makes the whole thing just a formality. Eventually it was just point to the man who "resembles" the man. And somehow that flew.
One reason I haven''t gotten as into the Gauci part is it seems like it at least should be secondary. It almost doesn't matter whether it was actually Megrahi, and the prosecution almost has to admit Gauci's word is inconclusive. What's that ol' thing our 9/11 Pentagon flyover proponents hear so much? Eyewitness testimony is the weakest form of evidence? Really, the main thing I think they'd work on in these many sessions is the list of what this mystery shopper bought. The rest of the case, as built, had Megrahi squarely enough at the center of the bombing that whoever really went to Mary's House - and this could have been questioned anywhere along the line - bought the exact items for the bag that Megrahi sent from Malta on orders from the mystery super-villains in Tripoli. If it helps get the main guy, great, even if it wasn't exactly, physically, him.
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Did either Megrahi or Fhimah either work as spokespeople for the Libyan government? Or Talb? Why would such a person go with another guy to buy clothes for their adopted baby bomb, tell a Briton in English they're Libyans staying at the Holiday Inn? Same guy then goes on TV in such a prominent way that Mr. Wright was able to see him, probably the third Libyan he'd ever seen on TV, and it's the same guy who just bought the bomb clothes so conspicuously in front of him. Then of course these conspirators did that timer thing to make sure other Britons would find all these clothes and go back to Mary's House... so this version is even dumber than the official story, and that's a bad sign.
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2nd December 2009, 06:30 PM | #63 |
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It probably didn't seem like that at the start. Maybe he just felt helpful, and gave generally encouraging replies, and it all sort of escalated. Could you elabotrate on this? Do you have any specific evidence suggesting that, as opposed to helpful Tony just agreeing with anything that was suggested to him? Rolfe. |
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3rd December 2009, 04:28 AM | #64 |
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I'm interested in the sheer number of coincidences that converge on Malta - a Maltese Cross indeed.
If we remove these two points from the cross, we're left with the Maltese-origin clothes in the bomb bag, and Abu Talb's Autumn Collection. However, this then introduces point 1a, which is that according to Gauci, the clothes weren't simply manufactured on the island, they were purchased there as a single transaction from his retail outlet. If that's true, then it relegates the fourth point back to "coincidence" status again. Because if the clothes were bought from Mary's House, they weren't part of Talb's stock-in-trade. This is doing my head in. Rolfe. |
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3rd December 2009, 05:58 PM | #65 |
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Yeah that last post did my head in too. Sorry nothing today but a bump.
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4th December 2009, 01:23 AM | #66 |
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4th December 2009, 03:33 AM | #67 |
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Yay, MacFonzie! I'm seriously looking forward to some informed discussion. When you're this into something, it's a total treat to see how someone else's brain wraps around it, for a fresh view and some insights.
Hey here's a quick question for Rofle or anyone, just for a little context and small-talk, I've been seeing in Lockerbie videos this shape in the woods that's a distinctly man-shaped clearing of some size. Perhaps I should know, but what is the story with that? First frame on this video, for example: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...aX2qAOjxKXmDQ# |
4th December 2009, 03:50 AM | #68 |
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Aliens made those shapes. Seven foot tall aliens with orange skin. But if you show me some pictures, I'll agree that some four foot tall blue aliens look a bit like them.
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4th December 2009, 08:52 AM | #69 |
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4th December 2009, 02:22 PM | #70 |
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The fateful UEFA footie matches
Ah well ... despite firing off emails to UEFA, AS Roma, Dynamo Dresden and a seriously obsessive (ex) E German football statistician, and posting on major football forums, I can get no closer to an answer to a question that has been nagging at me. It is this -
Why would Paul Gauci go home early on a midweek evening to catch a UEFA 3rd round football match? I recall that they typically started at 19:30 GMT or - more relevantly - 20:30 ECT in those days (though this has changed to xx:45 for some reason. But if my recollection is wrong by 15 mins, pshaw....). In the last few years, European midweek club matches have been scheduled for strange times much to the chagrin of the clubs, who lose packets through poor attendance where kickoff overlaps normal working hours. What's more, for Paul G's testimony to make sense, both legs of that match would have to be very early kickoffs. That is, if his initial reason for choosing the Nov 23rd game was valid (early kickoff), then it would have to be equally valid for the Dec 7th game. Any clues as to when these games actually started? Damned if I can find it after a lot of effort. My only real clue is that the attendance at the first match (Nov 23) appears to reach the ground capacity of the Dresden stadium. This could just mean that demand was always greater than capacity. |
4th December 2009, 04:10 PM | #71 |
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Well, at the moment, I am slightly more at ease believing the clothes are actually from Malta, and probably Gauci's shop, simply because I accept that the clothes presented as evidence were the items around the bomb or at least in the suitcase and the explosion. I think they may well have been purchased from Gauci's shop, although not neccessarily by one person on just the one date.
I suppose I'm also a little more at ease accepting this source for the clothing due to the fact I am reasonably satisfied the suitcase was not introduced at Luqa. For some reason this adds plausibility. We also have Talb who had frequented Malta, buying up clothing, and his connections to Jibril and Khreesat with the PFLP-GC. Tony agreeing, albeit vaguely with his questioners, after so much time and so many statements, simply came down to money. |
4th December 2009, 04:30 PM | #72 |
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Yes, I have found this a tricky tie to find times about too. I've found team lineups, attendances, scorers at a host of other info, but no times!!
Perhaps Caustic Logic might have some info in amongst the trial transcripts he has excellently acquired?..(Cyber pint if you spot anything CL) This is the only reference for the times of the game. Ludwig De Braeckeleer in his article on Paul and Tony Gauci remarks,
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The 1pm game was in Rome apparently, was it security considerations? Was there some other big event in Rome on that evening? That's damn annoying that Uefa haven't replied to you! I'm going to keep digging and hope you give Uefa another nudge.... ETA: Link to Braeckeleer's article - http://english.ohmynews.com/articlev...84904&rel_no=1 |
4th December 2009, 04:39 PM | #73 |
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An absolutely essential page I've found with all kinds of great documents.
Pdf's of two of Bolliers statements. Three of Gauci's statements. Michael Jones diary entry. and much much more. http://americanradioworks.publicradi...documents.html |
5th December 2009, 12:07 AM | #74 |
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Originally Posted by Buncrana
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Glad we had it cleared this is local time, up up front. It was a pain re-formatting those so they wouldn't mess up the page here. Sorry I've removed the valuable line numbers. And dang that's enough for one post. If there's more it will follow. Digest. |
5th December 2009, 12:25 AM | #75 |
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Last point from above list:
Quote:
I don't know crap about sports, even less about "European Soccer" as we yanks might call Football somewhere I've never been. Buncrana, how can you deduce game start times by country like that? It seems amazing to me. Terrific link to American Radio Works. I don't know about that "Shadow Over Lockerbie" program except that I think I like it. Ian Ferguson wrote at least an article for it. Here, three police statements from Gauci, wow. Plus more... Mike Jones, Pan Am security, diary entry? Are you s*********in' me? Everyone, bookmark that. Again, it's http://americanradioworks.publicradi...documents.html Oh wow. The Gauci statements will have to wait, but that's where you can find them. Any other points... wait right there as well. I'm off. |
5th December 2009, 12:38 AM | #76 |
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5th December 2009, 03:53 AM | #77 |
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If it was 7th December, Paul was skyving. The match finished around 3pm, but the mystery shopper wasn't in the shop till much later - around 6, I think, not long before closing time at 7.
On the other hand the 23rd November match covers the actual time of the purchase. If it happened at all, that is. (OK, I'm not seriously suggesting there was no purchase at all, but I'm still wondering if Gauci has pegged the enquiry to a completely unconnected purchase event that happened on that day or a similar day. It was nine months, for pity's sake.) Rolfe. |
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5th December 2009, 03:54 AM | #78 |
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7th December 2009, 04:23 PM | #79 |
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I've added the Shadow over Lockerbie documents page and some of its documents to our resources page at the wiki. It's getting better over there, if slowly.
I've also added a new post at my blog marking today's Gauci-centered anniversary. It was written off the top of my head with only partial knowledge and with no links or anything, as I just realized early this morning it was the anniversary and I wanted something up. If I got any facts wrong, or if anyone thinks the post's tone is hopelessly confusing, let me know please. http://12-7-9-11.blogspot.com/2009/1...-december.html |
8th December 2009, 03:13 AM | #80 |
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I'd like to address one specific point - Gauci's identification of the purchaser as Libyan. As I said above I don't like Wright's story with two purchasers, one of who he later saw on TV as a Libyan government spokesman. We've wondered if it were Talb, who was of course Egyptian. Or some other person connected to the PFLPGC, or some other non-Libyan actor. How sure was he the guy was Libyan, pig or not, and why?
From Prof. Clark's report:
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In the scrap of statement 2 linked at that site, he says of someone else I think, in some related story of a delivery to a hotel "I cannot read arabic but it was a Libyan name." He's also gone on about several Libyans who came to his shop and just watched him without buying anything. Apparently they stared in Libyan fashion, without slipping into French-style glances like Tunisians? |
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