Death of Pan Am 103 bomber leaves gaping holes in the case

Even in death, mass murderer Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi succeeded in rubbing salt in the wounds of the families and friends of the 270 men, women and children who perished in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988.

Although al-Megrahi was convicted in February 2001 by a special jury of Scottish judges sitting in the Netherlands and sentenced life with no eligibility for parole for 20 years, the Libyan intelligence officer died in his home in Libya surrounded by his loved ones.

He should have been left to rot in prison, but in August 2009, the Scottish government sent him back to Libya on compassionate grounds. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and doctors had given him less than three months to live.

The fact that al-Megrahi had served only eight years of the sentence and survived for almost five years after his release in the comfort of his home are evidence of the travesty of justice. The Scottish government — and to a certain extent the British government — must answer for the premature release of this evil monger.

While the Scots decided al-Magrahi should be returned to Libya, the British were implicated by not objecting to the decision and not launching an investigation.

There is credible information that 10 Downing Street went along with the release because it did not want to sour a deal British Petroleum had with the Gadhafi government over oil exploration.

Col. Moammar Gadhafi was killed during the popular uprising in Libya last year, but the bombing of Pan Am 103 remains unfinished business for the families and friends of the victims.

There were 259 people on the plane, many of them Americans coming home for Christmas, and 11 on the ground as debris rained down on Lockerbie, Scotland.

Al-Megrahi is the only individual who was convicted in the terrorist attack. He did not act alone. He was an intelligence officer in country that sponsored terrorism around the world.

The hero’s welcome he received from Gadhafi and his inner circle of thugs confirmed the widely held belief that his act of terrorism was sanctioned at the highest levels of the government in Tripoli and that it involved several key individuals.

Defection

Last year, then Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa left the Gadhafi government and defected from Libya. Koussa, as chief of the external intelligence service, possesses inside information about the bombing of Pan Am 103. He has been talking to British officials. Prosecutors in Scotland also sought to meet with him.

White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, reacting to the death of al-Megrahi, said, “We want to see justice for the victims of the Lockerbie bombing and their families. We will continue working with our new partners in Libya toward a full accounting of Gadhafi’s horrific acts.”

The Obama administration should also make it clear to the Scottish and British governments that enough time has passed for dots to be connected in this act of terrorism. Whatever evidence they possess must be shared with the United States, so the White House can decide on the best course of action.

The credibility of the Scottish and British governments has been damaged because of the Pan Am bomber’s release. They cannot be trusted to pursue the case as aggressively as is necessary.