Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Lockerbie Bomber: "I Only Have A Few Days, Weeks, Or Months"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 3, 2011
Modified Oct 3, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 3, 2011
Modified Oct 3, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, couldn't bother to speak with a CNN reporter at his Libyan home in August. Since his release by Scottish authorities for "compassionate" reasons 2009, he's been bedridden by prostate cancer. But Reuters was able to visit Megrahi's sick bed, and wouldn't you know it, the convicted murderer of 270 people in 1988 is fiestier than ever. "The facts [about the Lockerbie bombing] will be come clear one day…The West exaggerated my name. Please leave me alone. I only have a few more days, weeks, or months." Years, whatever.
Reuters describes Megrahi as "propped up at a slight angle in a hospital-style bed surrounded by members of his family. An oxygen tank stood nearby, but he did not use an oxygen mask during the interview." A spokesman for the Scottish government, whose decision to release him had NOTHING to do with billion-dollar oil contracts the UK had made in concert with a reviled dictator, told the news outlet that Megrahi is "an extremely sick man, dying of terminal prostate cancer." Far worse than dying in prison or in an airplane that has been bombed.
Libya's new leadership has refused to extradite him to the United States for charges, not that we've done them any favors recently. When asked about his country's recent revolution, Megrahi—who previously worked as an intelligence agent for Gadhafi—was indignant: "That's not a question for a sick person…My house has been violated. They smashed the main door and stole my cars." No more afternoon jaunts to Jamba Juice! It's as if he's being punished for something.
Tagged
Abdel Basset al-Megrahi
gadhafi
libya
lockerbie bombing
reuters
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Remote learning day for NYC schools means remote chance of learning, parents say
The remote day kicked off with a familiar ritual that began in the pandemic: kids struggling to log on.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 3:23 p.m. ET
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Floyd Bennett Field gets $10M for project to reopen historic hangars
By
Rosemary Misdary
Trump administration sends election monitors to NYC, NJ
By
Catalina Gonella
Child dies in raging Upstate New York measles outbreak
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .