1 year ago
36
A Libyan quality authoritative accused of making the weaponry that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 implicit Lockerbie, Scotland, successful 1988 successful an planetary enactment of coercion has been taken into U.S. custody and volition look national charges successful Washington, the Justice Department said Sunday.
The apprehension of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi is simply a milestone successful the decades-old probe into the onslaught that killed 259 radical successful the aerial and 11 connected the ground. American authorities successful December 2020 announced charges against Mas'ud, who was successful Libyan custody astatine the time. Though helium is the 3rd Libyan quality authoritative charged successful the U.S. successful transportation with the attack, helium would beryllium the archetypal to look successful an American courtroom for prosecution.
The New York-bound Pan Am formation exploded implicit Lockerbie little than an hr aft takeoff from London connected Dec. 21, 1988. Citizens from 21 antithetic countries were killed. Among the 190 Americans connected committee were 35 Syracuse University students flying location for Christmas aft a semester abroad.
The bombing laid bare the menace of planetary coercion much than a decennary earlier the Sept. 11 attacks. It produced planetary investigations and punishing sanctions portion spurring demands for accountability from victims of those killed. The university's existent chancellor, Kent Syverud, said successful a connection that the apprehension was a important improvement successful the agelong process "to bring those liable for this despicable enactment to justice."
Stephanie Bernstein, a Maryland pistillate whose husband, Michael, was among the 270 victims - helium was a Justice Department authoritative returning connected the formation from authorities concern - said the quality was "surreal" due to the fact that determination had been times successful the past 2 years erstwhile victims' families had been told that "it looks promising" lone to find that was not the case.
"At archetypal I thought I was dreaming erstwhile I was told what had happened, but it's happened, and I'm incredibly grateful that this antheral volition beryllium tried successful the United States," Bernstein said successful an interview.
The announcement of charges against Mas'ud connected Dec. 21, 2020, came connected the 32nd day of the bombing and successful the last days of the tenure of then-Attorney General William Barr, who successful his archetypal stint arsenic lawyer wide successful the aboriginal 1990s had announced transgression charges against 2 different Libyans quality officials.
The Libyan authorities initially balked astatine turning implicit the 2 men, Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, earlier yet surrendering them for prosecution earlier a sheet of Scottish judges sitting successful the Netherlands arsenic portion of a peculiar arrangement.
The Justice Department said Mas'ud would look soon successful a national tribunal successful Washington, wherever helium faces 2 transgression counts related to the explosion.
U.S. officials did not accidental however Mas'ud came to beryllium taken into U.S. custody, but precocious past month, section Libyan media reported that Mas'ud had been kidnapped by equipped men connected Nov. 16 from his residence successful Tripoli, the capital. That reporting cited a household connection that accused Tripoli authorities of being soundless connected the abduction.
In November 2021, Najla Mangoush, the overseas curate for the country's Tripoli-based government, told the BBC successful an interrogation that "we, arsenic a government, are precise unfastened successful presumption of collaboration successful this matter," erstwhile asked whether an extradition was possible.
Torn by civilian warfare since 2011, Libya is divided betwixt rival governments successful the eastbound and west, each backed by planetary patrons and galore equipped militias connected the ground. Militia groups person amassed large wealthiness and powerfulness from kidnappings and their engagement successful Libya's lucrative quality trafficking trade
A breakthrough successful the probe came erstwhile U.S. officials successful 2017 received a transcript of an interrogation that Mas'ud, a longtime explosives adept for Libya's quality service, had fixed to Libyan instrumentality enforcement successful 2012 aft being taken into custody pursuing the illness of the authorities of the country's leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi.
In that interview, U.S. officials said, Mas'ud admitted gathering the weaponry successful the Pan Am onslaught and moving with 2 different conspirators to transportation it out. He besides said the cognition was ordered by Libyan quality and that Gadhafi thanked him and different members of the squad aft the attack, according to an FBI affidavit filed successful the case.
That affidavit said Mas'ud told Libyan instrumentality enforcement that helium flew to Malta to conscionable al-Megrahi and Fhimah. He handed Fhimah a medium-sized Samsonite suitcase containing a bomb, having already been instructed to acceptable the timer truthful that the instrumentality would detonate precisely 11 hours later, according to the document. He past flew to Tripoli, the FBI said.
Al-Megrahi was convicted successful the Netherlands portion Fhimah was acquitted of each charges. Al-Megrahi was fixed a beingness sentence, but Scottish authorities released him connected humanitarian grounds successful 2009 aft helium was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He aboriginal died successful Tripoli, inactive protesting his innocence.
In announcing charges against Mas'ud successful 2020, Barr said the U.S. and Scotland would usage "every feasible and due means" to bring him to trial.
"At agelong last, this antheral liable for sidesplitting Americans and galore others volition beryllium taxable to justness for his crimes," Barr said astatine the time.
Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service connected Sunday announced the apprehension arsenic well, saying successful a connection that "the families of those killed successful the Lockerbie bombing person been told that the fishy is successful U.S. custody."
The connection added that "Scottish prosecutors and police, moving with U.K. authorities and U.S. colleagues, volition proceed to prosecute this investigation, with the sole purpose of bringing those who acted on with al-Megrahi to justice."
Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
English (US)