Suspected Lockerbie bomber makes initial appearance in US court

WASHINGTON

A former Libyan intelligence officer accused of being behind the tragic bombing of a civilian airliner more than three decades ago made his initial appearance in a US court on Monday.

Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir al-Marimi appeared for a largely procedural hearing in which he was read his rights and officially informed of the three charges against him, including two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death and aiding and abetting and the destruction of a vehicle involved in foreign commerce.

He was arrested in Scotland before being extradited to the US on Sunday on charges related to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103. All 259 people aboard the plane were killed, as were 11 people on the ground in the southwestern Scottish town.

The vast majority of those on board the flight -- 190 people -- were Americans, including 35 foreign exchange students who were traveling home for the winter holidays after studying abroad in Scotland.

Mas’ud is accused of making the suitcase bomb that brought down the flight. He faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of the charges against him. The Justice Department will not be pursuing the death penalty, prosecutors said in court.

Mas'ud did not speak in court other than to acknowledge that he could hear the judge as she spoke and to confirm his name. He is currently attempting to retain a lawyer and has so far rejected a public defender, Federal Public Defender AJ Kramer said in court.

Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather scheduled Mas'ud's next court appearance for a detention hearing on Dec. 27 to allow him time to hire counsel or accept a public defender.