Cooley was one of only a handful of Western journalists widely regarded and trusted in the Middle East as an expert on the area 's history and politics . He interviewed several of the region 's heads of state and was personally acquainted with the senior leadership of the PLO . His many awards include the Council on Foreign Relations ' Fellowship for American Foreign Correspondents , and the coveted George Polk Award for distinguished career achievement in international reporting . He was a key part of the '' ABC News '' '' Prime Time Live '' team that won an Emmy in 1990 for its investigation into the December 21 , 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
John K. Cooley