Libya and Britain on Lockerbie bomber – when you lie with dogs

This is swell. Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was handed over to a Scottish court seated in the Netherlands in 1999 after he was indited in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988 which killed all 259 passengers and another 11 on the ground. He was convicted, got cancer and released this week back to Libya. Libya’s dictator through him a party.

How’s this for a screw-up?

Britain dismissed suggestions of a link between the Lockerbie bomber’s release and energy deals with Libya on Saturday, and the head of the U.S. FBI said the move gave comfort to terrorists.

London and Washington have condemned the ‘hero’s welcome’ given to Abdel Basset al-Megrahi on his return to Libya after being freed from a life sentence in a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds because he is dying of cancer.

‘The idea that the British government … would sit down and somehow barter over the freedom or the life of this Libyan prisoner and make it all part of some business deal … it’s not only wrong, it’s completely implausible and actually quite offensive,’ said British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson.

But of course – wink, wink, nod, nod – they never would tie business deals to the release of al-Megrahi, but that does not mean dictators like Gaddafi won’t take advantage of you.

‘This step is in the interest of relations between the two countries…and of the personal friendship between me and them and will be positively reflected for sure in all areas of cooperation between the two countries,’ he [Libyan de-factor leader Muammar Gaddafi] told Libyan TV.

His son Saif al-Islam went further, saying that whenever he had met British officials to discuss business, the issue of Megrahi’s release was a condition of any deal being struck. …

‘In all British interests regarding Libya, I always put you on the table,’ Saif al-Islam’s newspaper quoted him as telling Megrahi on his return to Libya.

‘All the visits of the ex-Prime Minister Blair and the big secret and public work that all the parties entered into was carried out in order to release you. The exploitation of British-Libyan political and trade interests was always done with the aim of releasing Abdel Basset al-Megrahi.’

European governments including Britain’s are lobbying hard for business in Libya as it emerges from years of sanctions.

The British government just got PUNKED on the international stage by terrorists who’ve been on sabbatical. Will Britain, the United States and other democracies around the world learn anything from this disaster?

It was bad enough the Scottish minister Kenny MacAskill ordered the release of a convicted terrorist and Gordon Brown – Britain’s prime minister – approved it, but everything else is a slap in the face.

Important Note: al-Megrahi’s indictment and trial was not held in the United States or Scotland. In a tip toward the spirit of the United Nations and their desire for a “world court”, a fair trial was scheduled in the Netherlands with a panel of judges from Scotland. The death penalty was off the table. Nice…

Here’s a video report with the cheering crowds just to start your Sunday morning off on a sour note, we did not add the text commentary in the video.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anDlnxElHpE

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

12 Comments

  1. gillie28 on August 23, 2009 at 7:02 am

    He never went to prison until 2001, so served 8 years out of a 27 year sentence. 



  2. donh on August 23, 2009 at 8:54 am

    A victim of Pan Am flight 103 sat next to me in High School . What could be more dangerous than releasing a terrorist who knows he will soon die, who is a master spy trained in state intelligance operations? There is no doubt this Obamination was negotiated by the US State Department. Lybia requested release for Megrahi in July following Obama's trip to Cairo. The release took place 1 day before Obama's release of Happy Ramadan video to the islamic world. Khadaffi is coming to NY in Sept to address the UN. Obama's feigned outrage for the hero's welcome is more damage control from a guilty conscience than genuine anger. There has been no US retaliation against the UK. This is a Cowardly act of back door diplomacy.



  3. Anne-EH on August 23, 2009 at 10:41 am

    Steve, excellent commetary. Posted a special thread over at Free Republic.
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2322730/



  4. Anne-EH on August 23, 2009 at 10:43 am

    The victims of this terror attack and those they have left behind get victimized again.



  5. sammy22 on August 23, 2009 at 11:33 am

    Even the Brits are against us.



  6. gillie28 on August 23, 2009 at 10:37 pm

    sammy, most of the "Brits" are disgusted with their government and especially the Scottish foreigh minister for this travesty of justice.



  7. jockthampsonsbairn on August 24, 2009 at 12:39 am

    Nice selective use of the facts, here are a few more to consider – the US received $2 billion from Libya right around the time Megrahi was 'nominated' for prosecution, the FBI, CIA and US government in general wouldnt know Justice, Rule of Law or Compassion if they bit them… and we dont hate you, we just think you act like Nazis sometimes.



    • Steve McGough on August 24, 2009 at 4:03 am

      Selective use of the facts? I'll admit that I'm not familiar with the legal case and I assume that he was found guilty by a "fair" system. But maybe you forgot to mention the $2.7 billion (not $2 billion) was Libya's payment to families of the victims. Libya admitted partial responsibility. If he was not guilty, fight it out in the court of law and/or the media.

      Letting the guy just go home to a heroes welcome is flat out not acceptable.



  8. AJ on August 24, 2009 at 12:45 am

    I am British – I just wanted to let you know that we are as sickened by the release of this convicted mass murderer as you are. The fingerprints of the traitorous coward Brown and his puppet master Mandleson are all over this sordid affair. I would urge America to keep up the pressure on Number 10 about this and don't let these slimey cowards off the hook. You can see very clearly what's happening by the fact that Brown has run away, (as he always does when there's trouble)hoping that it'll all be soon forgotten and he can get on destroying what's left of Britain.

    Hit the b*****rds with trade sanctions and ban them from entering the US. Maybe that'll remind New Labour that the only compassion we should have is for the victims of terrorism and their families – not scumbags like al-Megrahi.



  9. gillie28 on August 24, 2009 at 4:08 am

    from the bbc website: Calls for a boycott of Scottish goods have been made in the US following the controversial decision to release the man convicted of carrying out the Lockerbie bombing.

    This would be a great idea except what Scottish goods are we talking about here?  Haggis, bagpipes, and the ever-popular kilt????  Everything in the entire world is made in China these days, anyway!



  10. Steve in Norfolk on August 24, 2009 at 7:41 am

    E-mail Kenny MacAskill at [email protected] lets jam his inbox from those of us incensed that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi didn't rot in prison as promised and served less than 14 days incarceration for each life he took.



  11. Dimsdale on August 24, 2009 at 4:08 pm

    Nice smackdown, Steve!  😉



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