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| Africa North |
| Libyan Militiamen Arrested Lockerbie Suspect Before Handing him to US |
| 2022-12-19 |
| By Mohamed Emad [LibyaReview] A former Libyan intelligence officer, who allegedly made the bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, was kidnapped from his house in Tripoli by Libyan militiamen, according to the Associated Press (AP). Four Libyan security and government officials with direct knowledge of the operation recounted to the AP the journey that ended with Abu Ajila Masoud in Washington. The Libya officials said Masoud was taken from his home in the Abu Salim neighbourhood of Tripoli, by militiamen in two Toyota pickup trucks. He was transferred to the coastal city of Misrata, and eventually handed over to American agents who flew him out of the country. Analysts told the Associated Press the Tripoli-based government – led by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba was responsible for handing over Abu Ajila. It was likely seeking US goodwill and favour, amid the power struggles in Libya. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Several said the United States had been exerting pressure for months to see Masoud handed over. “Every time they communicated, Abu Ajila was on the agenda,” one official said. The AP said Prime Minister Dbaiba discussed Abu Ajila’s case in a meeting in early November with the Head of the Stabilization Support Authority (SSA), Abdel-Ghani Al-Kikli (Ghnewa) who had been briefed on the matter. “After the meeting, Dbaiba informed US officials of his decision, agreeing that the handover would take place within weeks in Misrata, where his family is influential,” an SSA official told the AP. Last week, Masoud appeared in a US courtroom on Monday, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Justice. US Attorney General, Merrick B. Garland said the “relentless efforts over the past three decades led to the indictment and arrest of Abu Ajila for his alleged role in building the bomb used in the attack.” “The defendant is currently in US custody and is facing charges in the United States. This is an important step forward in our mission to honour the victims, and pursue justice on behalf of their loved ones,” Garland added. Meanwhile, the Libyan Parliament denounced the step. The Libyan Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour announced that his office will launch an investigating into the incident. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2022-12-19 10:13 |
| #2 To be traded for a trans celebrity to be named later. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2022-12-19 07:15 |
| #1 ...Answers the question I asked a few days ago as to where this dude was all this time. Mike |
| Posted by: MikeKozlowski 2022-12-19 07:13 |