Wife of Pan Am flight 13 bombing victim John Cummock applauds US taking custody of suspected bomb maker
MIAMI - The man accused of making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland has been taken into US custody and will soon be facing federal charges.
Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud is the third Libyan intelligence official charged in the US in connection with the 1988 attack that killed 270 people.
Families of the victims say this is a huge step, after a decades-long fight for justice.
One of the victims on the flight was John Cummock. He was heading back to the US when his life was cut short.
His widow, Victoria, who still lives in South Florida, said Monday that this is a milestone in the victims' families quest to hold those responsible accountable.
After receiving news of the arrest, Cummock released a statement that read in part:
"The U.S. arrest and apprehension of Libyan terror suspect Mas'ud, is the first tangible step made by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, in 34 years, to hold any suspect accountable in U.S. courts, for the December 21, 1988, terrorist attack against America that murdered our loved ones, aboard Pan American flight 103, flying from London to New York, exploding over Lockerbie, Scotland."
"Hopefully, this significant 1st step will begin to address the 3+ decades-long, miscarriage of justice. Our wish is for criminal trial proceedings to begin immediately. The victim's families are keenly aware that after 34 years, informants and witnesses die, memories fade, and evidence can deteriorate or disappear."
Two years ago, former Attorney General William Barr announced new charges against Mas'ud, citing a confession he made to Libyan authorities back in 2012 as well as his travel records, which allegedly tied him to the crime.
In a statement, Barr said he was happy the Biden administration continued to pursue it.
The Justice Department said Mas'ud will make his initial court appearance at a federal district court in Washington, D.C.
Mas'ud is the third Libyan charged in connection with the attack but he'll be the first to stand trial in an American court.
Another Libyan operative, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was convicted of the Pan Am flight 103 bombing back in 2001 and was imprisoned in Scotland. He was released on "compassionate grounds" due to terminal cancer eight years later. He claimed he was innocent up until his death in 2012 in Libya.
