U.S. State Department Secretary Antony Blinken on Monday called it a «historic day» after the alleged Lockerbie bomb maker was transferred to U.S. custody.
«Today is an important day for justice. After an intense diplomatic effort, Abu Agila Mohamed Masud Jeir al Marimi is in U.S. custody to stand trial for his alleged role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103,» the secretary of state said.
Blinken also thanked «all those who played a role in ensuring that Masud faces justice in the United States,» according to a State Department statement.
«The prosecution of Masud is the product of years of cooperation between U.S. and Scottish authorities and the efforts of Libyan authorities over many years,» he explained.
«In particular, I want to express my gratitude for the tireless work of the U.S. Department of Justice in pursuing and prosecuting Masud,» he added.
Thus, the secretary of the Department has indicated that its «first priority is the safety and security» of U.S. citizens abroad.
«The United States has never stopped and will never stop seeking justice on behalf of the American people,» he assured before pointing out that they will be «vigilant and focused» in pursuing those who «intend to do harm».
The Royal Prosecutor’s Office in Scotland announced Sunday that the alleged manufacturer of the bomb that destroyed a Pan Am airliner with 270 people on board over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 had been handed over to U.S. authorities.
Masud, a Libyan national, has been designated as the «third conspirator» in the bloodiest bombing in the United Kingdom, after the only one convicted of the attack, the late former Libyan intelligence agent Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi and Lamin Jalifa Fhima, who was acquitted in 2001.
The U.S. had requested custody of Masoud in December 2020 to answer for the deaths of the 169 U.S. citizens on the plane, the bulk of the passengers and counting the entire crew of eleven.
