Lockerbie: Will Megrahi’s death bring closure? No

AS THE CONVICTED Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, lies close to death in Tripoli, the American-led campaign to have him re-arrested and extradited back to Scotland appears hopeless. Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, has said that the only people who have any authority in this matter are the Scottish government, and they "have never had and don't have any intention of asking for the extradition of Mr Megrahi".

But if Megrahi does pass away in Tripoli in the coming days, which the recent CNN TV footage (above) suggests is a real possibility, will his death bring closure for the relatives of the 270 victims who died in December 1988?

The Guardian believes the "grim saga" is nearly over and that calls for his re-arrest and extradition from US senators, lawyers and families of the Lockerbie bomb victims appear "completely futile".
 
This will be frustrating for all concerned because, says James Cusack in the Independent, the truth behind the Lockerbie bombing "remains enmeshed in diplomatic games". Cusack suspects that when Megrahi is buried, he will be described in Libya as "a victim of the Gaddafi regime".
 
The fact is, the conviction of Megrahi, delivered in 2001 by a Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands, was "mired in controversy from the outset", says Kim Sengupta, also in the Independent. Many are convinced that "key parts of the prosecution evidence lacked credibility".

So, Megrahi's passing is unlikely to bring closure. As the Scotsman puts it, "He will take his secrets, about the destruction of PanAm 103, to his grave".

The paper believes Gaddafi's complicity in the bombing is no longer in doubt, thanks to the testimonies of those defecting from his regime. "What remains to be resolved, however, is the identity of the others undoubtedly involved in its planning and execution."

For the families affected by Gaddafi's terrorism, says Kenneth Bandler on Fox News, it remains "a very deep wound to heal". ·