The US announces new charges against a man accused of shooting down a plane in 1988

Washington – He United States Department of Justice announced new charges on Monday against a Libyan bombmaker involved in the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259 people in the air and 11 on the ground.

The allegations were announced on the 32nd anniversary of the blast and at Attorney General William Barr’s latest press conference, highlighting his personal link to a case that took place during his first stint at the Justice Department. He had previously announced a series of charges against two Libyan intelligence officials when he was serving as acting Attorney General nearly 30 years ago, promising the investigation would continue. Although Barr had not held a press conference for months, he held a press conference two days before leaving office.

In filing new charges, the Justice Department reopened a case that worsened the divide between the United States and Libya, exposed the threat of international terrorism more than a decade before the September 11, 2001 attacks, and investigated global levels and sanctions.

The case against the alleged bombmaker, Abu Agela Masud Kheir Al-Marimi, is now more theoretical than practical given that Masud is not in US custody, but it is one of the major counter-terrorism trials launched by the Justice Department during the administration of president Donald Trump.

“Ultimately, this man responsible for killing Americans and many others will be brought to justice for his crimes,” Barr said.