Libya’s Dbeibah defends alleged Lockerbie bomber’s extradition

 On Thursday, Libya's acting prime minister confirmed and defended the extradition of the man who is thought to have built the bomb that brought down a Pan Am aircraft over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. 

Premier Abdelhamid Dbeibah of Tripoli claimed that by cooperating "when it comes to crimes done outside of its jurisdiction," he has "behaved with respect for the sovereignty of Libya." 

Since his extradition, Dbeibah has faced harsh condemnation from both political opponents and human rights advocates. 

The suspected intelligence agent for Muammar Qaddafi's government in Libya, Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, 71, appeared in a US court on Monday to answer charges related to the terror attack that claimed 270 lives. 

Two years ago, the US brought charges against him in connection with the Lockerbie bombing. 

Masud was "responsible for the bomb-making cell" under Qaddafi's rule, according to Dbeibah, who made the claim in a speech that was aired on national television. Masud was also alleged to be "at fault for the deaths of more than 200 innocent people." 

Making the distinction between the "responsibility of the Libyan state, and that of the person," Dbeibah said, highlighting the fact that in terms of national responsibility, "the matter has been fully ended" since 2003. 

“I won't permit it to be opened once more,” he declared. 

After extensive negotiations with British and US officials in 2003, Libya agreed to pay compensation to the bombing victims, which prompted the UN to end its sanctions later that year. 

"I no longer accept that Libya and its people suffer as a result of more than 30 years of terrorist activities and that Libyans are labeled as terrorists simply because suspects are in Libya,” Dbeibah continued.

In connection with the bloodiest terror incident on British soil, only one person has been found guilty. 

38 minutes after takeoff from London, the plane headed for New York was destroyed by an explosion, sending the main fuselage crashing to the ground in Lockerbie and scattering debris over a large area. 

All 259 occupants of the jumbo plane, including 190 Americans, were killed in the bombing, along with 11 bystanders.