The Lockerbie Bombing Case Is Officially Closed

The rebel government will not extradite Megrahni

After uncertainty regarding how the Libyan government would handle the Lockerbie bomber post-Qaddafi, the interim justice minister Mohammed al-Alagi today said "the case is closed," reports Reuters. The fall of Qaddafi's regime reignited the controversy over the 2009 release of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi from Scottish jail, as we reported. Scottish officials defended the decision and the rebel government did not intend on extraditing the bomber. Yet, why would the Libyan rebels not even consider extraditing Megrahi and "risk alienating the very Western powers who've facilitated their victory over Qaddafi," wondered The Atlantic Wire's Uri Friedman. The rebels defended the point, as turning in a Libyan citizen would be very Qaddafi-esue. But CNN points to another possibility: the opposition might be "reluctant to be seen doing America's bidding." Either way, the government has made its decision and on the Libyan end, the case is closed.