Susan Lindauer Deposition
Lockerbie Trial Document: Susan Lindauer Deposition
4 December 1998
Last month, MEIB reported that Dr. Richard Fuisz, a major CIA operative
in Syria during the 1980s, met with a congressional staffer by the name
of Susan Lindauer in 1994 and told her that that the perpetrators of the
December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland were
based in Syria [see "The Lockerbie Bombing Trial: Is Libya Being
Framed?" Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, June 2000]. One month after
their meeting, the Clinton administration, which holds Libya responsible
for the bombing, placed a gag order on Dr. Fuisz to prevent him from
publicly discussing the issue.
While Dr. Fuisz is still unable to comment on this matter because of the
gag order, MEIB has obtained a copy of a formal deposition filed by
Lindauer in 1998 in which she recounts this conversation in detail. This
deposition (see below) has been submitted to the court in which two
Libyan suspects are currently on trial and to U.N. officials, who have
attempted to persuade the Clinton administration to lift the gag order
on Dr. Fuisz.
Lindauer says that she has been subject to intense surveillance,
threats, and attacks since she began meeting with Libyan officials in
1995 to discuss her knowledge of the Lockerbie bombing. "Someone put
acid on the steering wheel of my car on a day I was supposed to drive to
NYC for a meeting at the Libya House. I scrubbed my hands with a toilet
brush, but my face was burned so badly that 3 weeks later friends
worried I might be badly scarred," Lindauer told MEIB. "Also, my house
was bugged with listening devices and cameras -- little red laser lights
in the shower vent. And I survived several assassination attempts."
She has agreed to publish her email address, slndau@aol.com, along with
this deposition so that journalists, researchers and others interested
in learning more about this issue can contact her.
Text of Deposition
My name is Susan Lindauer. I reside in Silver Spring, Maryland, one of
the suburbs outside the District of Columbia in the United States of
America. At the time these events took place, I was living inside the
District of Columbia, at 1002 C Street NE on Capitol Hill.
In offering this deposition, I hereby inform the court and all
interested parties at the United Nations that I have never accepted any
financial compensation from any of the individuals, or governments
involved in this case, in any form of cash or non-cash payment.
Furthermore, I have never solicited nor received promise of future
payments in exchange for this testimony. My reasons for coming forward
reflect my own deepest personal values, and my sense of obligation to
the cause of international peace and security. I remain deeply persuaded
that justice must never be confused with convenience or political
scapegoating, and that the issues of this case, including the
prosecution of terrorist activities and the imposition of sanctions that
seek to isolate an entire Arabic population, are too important in this
contemporary age for a lie to stand unchallenged. And so let it be
understood by the court: I make these statements of my own free will,
out of respect to my own conscience and sense of obligation as a world
citizen.
This deposition pertains to my direct and immediate knowledge of an
American named Dr. Richard Fuisz, and unequivocal statements by Dr.
Fuisz directly to me that he has first hand knowledge about the
Lockerbie case. Dr. Fuisz has told me that he can identify who
orchestrated and executed the bombing. Dr. Fuisz has said that he can
confirm absolutely that no Libyan national was involved in planning or
executing the bombing of Pan Am 103, either in any technical or advisory
capacity whatsoever. He has also made direct statements to me describing
harassment that he has suffered for trying to provide this information
to the families of Pan Am 103 and prosecuting authorities in the United
States government.
I first met Dr. Richard Fuisz in his business office in Chantilly,
Virginia in the United States of America. The date was September,1994. I
had been invited to meet Dr. Fuisz by a mutual acquaintance because of
my position as press secretary to former Congressman Ron Wyden (a
Democrat from Oregon), and because of my known longstanding interest in
the Middle East. Wyden is now a United States Senator, and I have
continued my career in TV journalism and public affairs. For the record,
my relationship with Dr. Fuisz has remained purely professional, and
based strictly on my respect for his integrity and incredible, indepth
knowledge of the Middle East.
Dr. Fuisz told me in September, 1994 that he had lived in Syria during
the 1980s, and that he maintained close ties to Saudi Arabia and the
Middle East overall. Mutual friends and associates have confirmed this.
He was vague as to what capacity he was working, but after our
conversation, I concluded by myself that he must have been feeding U.S.
intelligence efforts. He told me that he had infiltrated a network of
Syrian terrorists tied to the Iranian Hezbollah, who, at the time of his
residence in Damascus, were holding Americans hostage in Beirut. Dr.
Fuisz impressed on me that he had identified the organizers behind the
hostage crisis, and that he had actually located the streets and
buildings where those Americans were being held captive, at tremendous
personal risk, in order to try to orchestrate a rescue. This information
was later confirmed by a third party source.
We talked a great deal about how the sale of heroin/opium from the Bekaa
Valley in Lebanon is financing terrorist activities on a global scale. I
must add, the rise of heroin in street markets all over the U.S. is a
most insidious trend with enormous human costs, which has further
motivated my determination to stay involved in this question of Pan Am
103. (The bombing of Pan Am 103 was intended to strike drug enforcement
agents of the United States, in reprisal for their aggressive efforts.)
As further evidence of his deep infiltration of terrorist circles,
occasionally Dr. Fuisz pointed to photographs on his wall that showed
individuals engaged in social activities at private homes. He said they
were some of the "most famous terrorists in the Middle East," to use his
words. Obliquely he told me they might be household names in the United
States.
Dr. Fuisz asked for my help as a congressional staffer because he said
he had a problem. After testifying before a congressional committee
about an American company that supplied Iraq with SCUD mobile missile
launchers, he complained of being seriously harassed in lawsuits and by
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Efforts by his attorneys to stop this
harassment had been answered with warnings from the highest levels that
he should never have talked about U.S. arms supplies to Iraq, and that
he should stop trying to contact families tied to Pan Am 103.
In fact, this was the context for how the Pan Am bombing came up in our
conversation. He said to me, gosh, [note to MEIB: he used much stronger
language and profanities that I did not think would be appropriate for a
deposition] I could be providing so much more information about Middle
Eastern terrorists, except the United States government doesn't want
anybody talking about Syria. Then he jumped into the Lockerbie case by
way of example of unsolved bombing cases that he said has the immediate
capability to resolve. He complained that he was getting shafted for
trying to assist a cause that American leaders profess to care very much
about. In essence, he insisted the messenger was getting shot for
delivering the message.
Dr. Fuisz made it very clear that he knows a great deal of insider
knowledge about this case. Because of his Syrian ties, he told me he
"was first on the ground in the investigation," to use his words. At one
point, I said to him, "Oh yeah, everybody knows Syria did it, and the
U.S. repaid them for supporting us during the Iraqi War by shifting the
blame to Libya."
Immediately he cut me off.
"Susan ‚ Do you understand the difference between a primary source and a
secondary source? Those people in Virginia are analysts. They're reading
reports from the field, but they don't have first-hand contact with
events as they're happening on the ground. Or first hand knowledge about
what's taking place. So they don't actually know it, even if they think
they do."
"I know it, Susan. I know it. That's the difference. Because of my Syria
contacts, I was the first on the ground in the investigation. I was
there. They're reading my reports." (His emphasis. Then he laughed
sarcastically.) "In this case, they're reading them and destroying
them." (And he threw up his hands.)
He continued on:
"Susan, if the (United States) government would let me, I could identify
the men behind this attack today. I could do it right now. You want a
police line up? I could go into any crowded restaurant of 200 people,
and pick out these men."
"I can identify them by face, by name." He started gesticulating, and
counting off on his fingers. "I can tell you the address where they
work, and what time they arrive at their office in the morning. I can
tell you what time they go to lunch, what kind of restaurants they go
to, and what time they leave their offices to go home for the day. I can
tell you their home addresses, the names of their wives if they're
married, the names and ages of all their children. I can tell you about
their girlfriends. I can even tell you what type of prostitutes they
like."
"And you know what, Susan? You won't find this restaurant anywhere in
Libya. No, you will only find this restaurant in Damascus. I didn't get
that from any report, Susan." Dr. Fuisz started shaking his head. "I got
it because I was investigating on the ground, and I know. Do you
understand what I'm saying to you now? I know!"
To which I answered. "For God's sakes tell me, and I'll get my boss to
protect you."
Then he got really mad. "No, no ‚ It's so crazy. I'm not even allowed to
tell you, and you're a congressional staffer." Then he repeated his
story about the Terex lawsuit against both him and New York Times
reporter Seymour Hirsch, (the famous Pulitzer Prize winner), whose only
crime was reporting Dr. Fuisz testimony at the congressional hearing.
This was how I learned that Dr. Fuisz is covered by the Secrets Act,
which severely restricts his ability to communicate information about
Pan Am 103. Though he says freely that he knows first hand that Libya
was not involved in any capacity whatsoever, it's my understanding that
he can provide no further details regarding his part in the
investigation, or details identifying the true criminals in this case.
This is tragic on two accounts. First, the accused Libyans are
effectively denied the right to a fair trial where they might bring
forth witnesses in their own defense, which could immediately exonerate
them of all charges. And secondly, the families are denied the ability
to close this terrible wound, and experience the healing that would be
gained from discovering the complete truth and facts surrounding this
case.
On both accounts, I cannot be silent. I suspect my disclosure will
grieve the families with the horrible revelation that U.S. government
officials have behaved so cynically and despicably as to withhold
evidence in this case. And yet such a cynical and desperate act must be
condemned by civilized society. I dare say Libya is entitled to
financial compensation for the economic harassment her people have
endured because of these blatantly false accusations, and the deliberate
efforts to mislead potential judges, and victimize potential witnesses
by a policy of aggressive harassment and punishment for speaking out.
Meanwhile, the true culprits have literally gotten away with murder.
For shame on all of you!
This ends my deposition.
Signed this 4th Day of December, 1998 In the presence of a notary
public.
(Lindauer's signature and the crest of the notary stamp)
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