The collapse of the Qaddafi regime in Libya isn’t even complete, but already presidential candidates, sitting members of Congress, and political pundits are calling for the new Libyan government — once it, you know, exists — to arrest and extradite Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the supposedly near-death mastermind behind the Lockerbie bombing who was released from a Scottish prison in 2009 in order to (allegedly!) further the United Kingdom’s oil interests in Libya.
Among those clamoring for Megrahi’s head today was Mitt Romney, in a statement:
He was hardly alone. New Jersey senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez are also calling for Megrahi to be extradited, while New York senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand would at least like him to be imprisoned in Libya.
Meanwhile, writing at Commentary, Michael Rubin just wants to cut to the chase and have Obama “seize” Megrahi, and the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg calls this an “excellent goal.” It’s kind of like how Donald Trump just wants us to “take the oil.” Let’s just “take the Megrahi.”
Gadhafi’s downfall revives bitter dispute over Lockerbie bomber [CNN]
Schumer, Gillibrand: Imprison al-Megrahi again [Hill]
Recapture the Lockerbie Bomber [Contentions/Commentary]
