Bernt Carlsson

Bernt Wilmar Carlsson was born in 1938 in Stockholm, Sweden, and died in the Lockerbie bombing on December 21, 1988. Image File history File links BerntC1. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Stockholm panorama from the City Hall is the capital of Sweden, located on the south east coast of Sweden. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Evolution to international diplomacy

Bernt Carlsson joined the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League when he was sixteen, studied economics at Stockholm University and, upon graduation, went into Sweden's foreign ministry. Carlsson was assistant to the Minister of Commerce in 1967 and, three years later, was detached to become international secretary of the ruling Social Democratic Party of Sweden in 1970. Concurrent with his position in the party, Prime Minister, Olof Palme (assassinated on February 28, 1986), appointed him as special adviser. The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbund, abbreviated SSU) is a social democratic youth organisation in Sweden, affiliated with the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation. ... Stockholm University, or Stockholms universitet, is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Social Democratic Party may refer to: Afghan Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Albania) Social Democratic Party (Andorra) Social Democratic Party of Austria Brazilian Social Democracy Party Social Democratic Party (Central African Republic) Social Democratic Party of Croatia Czech Social Democratic Party Socialdemokratiet, Denmark Social Democratic Party (East Timor) Social... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Sven Olof Joachim Palme ( ) (January 30, 1927 – February 28, 1986) was a Swedish politician. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1976, he became Secretary-General of Socialist International (SI), based in London, at the same time as former Federal German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, assumed the SI presidency. For the next seven years, Carlsson was engaged in extending the SI's influence beyond Europe to Third World countries, and in pioneering moves towards Middle East peace using the SI's unique position of having Israel's governing Labour Party as a member, and at the same time retaining very good ties with Arab countries and Yasser Arafat's faction in the PLO. Carlsson developed a particularly close relationship with Arafat's right-hand man, Issam Sartawi, who was murdered (allegedly by the Abu Nidal Organization) during an SI conference in Portugal on April 10, 1983. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International (SI) is an international organisation for social democratic and democratic socialist parties. ... Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm (December 18, 1913 - October 8, 1992) was a German politician, Chancellor of West Germany 1969 – 1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 1964 – 1987. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Labour or Labor, (Hebrew: העבודה, ha-`Avōdāh) is a political party in Israel. ... Arafat redirects here; for the hill east of Mecca, see Mount Arafat Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات‎) (August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني) and also known by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004); President of... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with an intent to destroy Israel. ... Created by a split from the Fatah in 1974, the Abu Nidal Organization (officially named Fatah - the Revolutionary Council) is an international organization named for its founder Abu Nidal. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He returned home to Sweden in 1983 and, for two years, became the Prime Minister's special emissary to the Middle East and Africa. Palme entrusted him with an important Middle East role in delicate attempts to negotiate a peace agreement between Iran and Iraq. From 1985 to 1987 he was head of Nordic Affairs in the Swedish foreign ministry.

On July 1, 1987 Carlsson was appointed United Nations Commissioner for South-West Africa/Namibia. A year later, he convened a meeting in Stockholm between the SWAPO leadership (Sam Nujoma, Hage Geingob and Hidipo Hamutenya), and a delegation of "whites" from Namibia. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... South-West Africa is the former name (1884-1990) of Namibia under German (as German South-West Africa, Deutsch Süd-West Afrika) and (from 1915) South African administration when it was conquered from the Germans during World War I. Following the war, the Treaty of Versailles declared the territory... The South-West Africa Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) was founded, along with a number of other groups, as a liberation organisation: following the first world war, South-West Africa — formerly a German colony — was turned over to South Africa to rule as a mandate for the British. ... President Sam Nujoma Samuel Daniel Shafiishuna Nujoma (born May 12, 1929) was the first President of Namibia. ... Hage Geingob (born 1941) was the first Prime Minister of independent Namibia. ... Hidipo Hamutenya (born June 17, 1939 in Odibo, Ohangwenya region, Namibia) is a politician from Namibia. ...

Reclaiming Namibia for the UN

Map of South-West Africa (Namibia)

Following the Reagan/Gorbachev summit on September 29, 1988, implementation of Security Council resolution 435 began. South Africa was thereby required finally to relinquish its control of Namibia. The UN Commissioner planned to fly direct from Brussels on December 20, 1988 (where Carlsson had a long-standing speaking engagement before a sub-committee of the European parliament) to New York for a signing ceremony on December 22 at UN headquarters. Carlsson would then take control of Namibia. But, according to Swedish newspaper iDAG of March 12, 1990, Carlsson had been pressured by De Beers to stopover in London to discuss Namibia's diamonds. Thus, he became one of the 270 victims of Pan Am Flight 103.[1] map of namibia (CIA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... map of namibia (CIA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Famous people with the family name Reagan include: Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States Nancy Reagan, the wife of Ronald Reagan and influential First Lady Ron Reagan, President Reagans son and liberal journalist Michael Reagan, President Reagans son and conservative talk show host John Henninger... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ; Pronunciation: mih-kha-ILL ser-GHE-ye-vich gor-bah-CHOFF) (born March 2, 1931), was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Brussels City Hall Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, pronounced ; French: Bruxelles, pronounced in Belgian French and often by non-Belgian speakers of French; German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium, the... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... The De Beers Group is a Johannesburg and London-based diamond mining and trading corporation. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ...

South African foreign minister, Pik Botha, and a delegation of 22 negotiators – including defence minister, General Magnus Malan, and head of military intelligence, General C J Van Tonder – were also booked on PA 103 to attend the same signing ceremony at the UN. But, instead, Pik Botha and a smaller contingent of six took the Pan Am 101 morning flight to New York. The rest of the South African party cancelled the booking on PA 103 and returned to Johannesburg.[2] Pik Botha Roelof Frederik Pik Botha (born April 27, 1932, in Rustenburg, Transvaal, South Africa), is a South African politician who served as the countrys foreign minister in the last years of the apartheid era. ... General Magnus Malan (b. ... , City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ...

The prime target?

According to one theory, promoted by a few commentators – such as former British diplomat Patrick Haseldine – and with some supporting circumstantial evidence, Bernt Carlsson was actually alleged to have been the saboteurs' target on Pan Am Flight 103. [3] Patrick Haseldine at N°10 Downing Street in July 1994 Patrick Haseldine (born July 11, 1942 in Leytonstone) attended St Ignatius College (1953–58), a grammar school in north London. ... Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence. ...

Whereas apartheid South Africa had a plausible motive (to prevent the UN Commissioner from reclaiming Namibia), and had both the opportunity and capability to carry out this crime, it seems that, barring a confession (possible), or a new criminal investigation followed by another lengthy trial (unlikely), the alleged perpetrators can expect to escape ever being brought to justice. Petty apartheid: sign on Durban beach in English, Afrikaans and Zulu Apartheid, which means apartness or separateness in Afrikaans or Dutch, was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1991. ...

The allegation that – among the 270 fatalities of the Lockerbie bombing – Carlsson was the prime target is therefore likely to remain unproven.

Memorial

The Bernt Carlsson Trust – otherwise known as One World Action – was founded by Glenys Kinnock on December 21, 1989 (the first anniversary of the Lockerbie air disaster) in memory of Carlsson. One World Action is a charity based in London whose aims are a world free from poverty and oppression, where strong democracies safeguard peoples rights. ... Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock (born July 7, 1944) is a Welsh politician. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Olof Palme
• Alternative theories into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
• Craig Williamson
• Dag Hammarskjöld

Sven Olof Joachim Palme ( ) (January 30, 1927 – February 28, 1986) was a Swedish politician. ... The murder conviction of the Libyan agent Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi on January 31, 2001 at the end of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial failed to convince many observers, including victims relatives, that the case had in fact been solved or that justice had been done. ... Former South African police major Craig Williamson was exposed as a spy in 1980, and was involved in a series of state-sponsored overseas bombings, burglaries, kidnapping, assassinations, sabotage and black propaganda during the apartheid era. ... Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( ) (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...

External links

• Lost on flight 103: a hero to the wretched of the world
• Countdown to PA 103
• Lockerbie trial: the South African connection
• Namibia's long journey to independence
• Bernt Carlsson Trust