There's been no shortage of favorable coverage of the Libyan rebels in the Western media, declaring their boundless love for 'freedom'. Of course, there's no denying that Libya's now fugitive 'brotherly leader' Gadhafi, i.e. 'Col. Daffy', i.e. the 'Duck of Death', was an erratic and sadistic megalomaniac. But now that the proverbial devil that we knew has gone underground, what will replace him? With Tripoli and most of Libya having been 'liberated', can we expect Jeffersonian democracy to rise up from the ashes? We've already run several pieces here at Jihad Watch on why the outside world should take promises of freedom and democracy from Libya's new government with (at the very least) a healthy degree of skepticism.
Now comes word that the Lockerbie bomber -- Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted of the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing, which killed 270 people -- who has been comfortably ensconced in one of Tripoli's richest neighborhoods, isn't going to be extradited anywhere. "Libyan rebels won't deport Lockerbie bomber", MSNBC, 28 August 2011:
TRIPOLI, Libya— The Libyan rebels' interim government says it will not deport the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, who is reportedly near death.
The rebel Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi told journalists in Tripoli Sunday that no Libyan citizen would be deported, even Abdel-Baset al-Megrahi, who was convicted in a Scottish court and imprisoned for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 people.
The Scottish government released al-Megrahi in 2009, believing he would soon die of cancer. He was greeted as a hero in his native Libya and met with then-leader Moammar Gadhafi.
CNN reported Sunday that al-Megrahi is comatose and near death, under the care of his family at a villa in Tripoli.
"We just give him oxygen. Nobody gives us any advice," his son, Khaled Elmegarhi, told CNN.
It's likely that he'll take the secrets of the Pam Am bombing to his grave, according to CNN.
Neighbors of al-Megrahi described him as a wealthy recluse, constantly surrounded by security guards.
After his release, he was received with a hero's welcome on his return to Tripoli, and the televised images of cheering crowds angered many relatives of the 270 people killed in the attack, 189 of whom were Americans.
The Obama administration harshly criticized Scotland's decision to release Megrahi and many U.S. politicians and victims' families have pressed for his extradition to the United States.
One of Megrahi's neighbors said he had been whisked away by security guards last week when Tripoli fell to rebels battling forces loyal to Gadhafi, who like Megrahi, has gone into hiding. Libya's new government is likely to come under pressure to find Megrahi and hand him over.
"The day Tripoli fell, four security men, his private security, took him, his wife and his sons and left. They left in a Mercedes," said Ahmed Mlaaty, 20, a student and one of Megrahi's neighbours, standing outside his handsome villa.
As a condition of his release, Megrahi had been obliged to check in regularly with Scottish authorities, who said last week they had lost contact with him in the "dust of battle."
Lost contact? I'm sure the Scottish authorities didn't see that coming.
Another neighbor said Megrahi caused no one any harm, and said his complicity in the bombing had not been proved.
"Everyone associates him with Lockerbie, but I'm not sure he was involved," said Noora Abdul Hadi, 27, a doctor.
Attiya al-Usta, 77, said he had seen Megrahi just before the February uprising against Gadhafi's 42-year-rule.
"When he came back from Europe he looked ill. But recently he looked fit and neat. I saw him just before the revolution. He didn't look ill at all. He was sitting in a chair on his balcony. He looked 100 percent."
As the founder of Islam taught his followers, warfare is deceit.
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