Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on January 14th against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain documents related to the United Kingdom’s release last August of convicted terrorist Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was serving a life sentence for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Judicial Watch seeks information that will shed light on what role, if any, the United States played in the decision to release al-Megrahi.
On August 20, 2009, the United Kingdom came under heavy fire for releasing the former Libyan intelligence officer from prison on “compassionate grounds” due to the fact al-Megrahi suffers from terminal prostate cancer. The British government also reportedly attempted to include al-Megrahi as part of a prisoner transfer pact signed with Col. Muammer al-Gadaffi’s Libyan government in 2007 in order to help secure oil contracts for British companies.
Al-Megrahi, who received a hero’s welcome upon returning to Libya, was given three months to live at the time of his release. However, now five months after his release, al-Megrahi is reportedly alive and living with his family in Libya. Convicted in 2001, al-Megrahi served only eight years of his life sentence.
Judicial Watch’s lawsuit, filed on January 14, seeks “all communications with/between the FBI and the United Kingdom concerning the August 20, 2009 release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the former Libyan intelligence officer who was convicted of 270 counts of murder for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.”
Judicial Watch filed its original FOIA request on September 10, 2009. By law, the FBI was required to respond by October 8, 2009. However, to date, the FBI has not provided any documents responsive to the request, nor has the agency provided an explanation as to why documents must be withheld.
“The decision to release al-Megrahi from prison was an affront to justice and an insult to the families of the victims of the Pan Am tragedy. Al-Megrahi’s release also served to rally terrorists around the world. The American people deserve to know what role, if any, the United States government played in the horrible decision to release a known terrorist from prison. Frankly, I’m concerned the Obama administration did not do enough to prevent this terrorist’s release. The FBI has an obligation to the American people and the victims’ families to release all relevant documents as soon as possible,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
[The above is the text of a press release issued by Judicial Watch. I doubt if there are any FBI documents relating to Megrahi's release, other than the idiotic letter sent by FBI Director Robert Mueller to Kenny MacAskill.]
But maybe Judicial Watch could file a FOIA lawsuit against FBI, CIA and other implicated agencies to release documents in the Lockerbie case itself?
ReplyDeleteExactly. Judicial Watch, giving prosecution-appointed judges a free pass, criticizing compassion!
ReplyDeleteExactly. Judicial Watch, giving prosecution-appointed judges a free pass, criticizing compassion!
ReplyDeleteThe US-based Judicial Watch should not restrict its activities to Mr Mueller's idiotic letter. To which, incidentally, I offered this response on 22 August 2009: "FBI Director, Robert S Mueller, who boasts that he was Assistant Attorney General in charge of the investigation and indictment of Mr Megrahi in 1991, might find himself the subject of investigation when a United Nations Inquiry into the 1988 Lockerbie bombing is instituted in the coming months.
ReplyDeleteAnd then when an equally idiotic letter came from ex-DCS Stuart Henderson, I wrote on 24 August 2009: "A 'United Nations Inquiry into the murder of UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing' will, I hope, be up and running soon. Whereupon, former SIO Stuart Henderson and DC John Crawford will clearly have some very serious questions to answer, as will Henderson's US counterpart, Richard Marquise, and the current FBI Director, Robert Mueller."
Not to mention the forensic team of fakers: Alan Feraday, Dr Thomas Hayes and Tom Thurman, eh JW?
This is, as far as I remember from other cases, not confined to Judicial Watch. I think, any American citizen can do that (with a little help of a lawyer, maybe). I do not ask Mr Marquise, though he in an earlier answer on this blog confirmed that he would be joining us when we call for facts...
ReplyDeleteBTW: Are there any news concerning the release of the SCCRC documents?
ReplyDeleteMISSION LOCKERBIE, attn. Adam:
ReplyDeleteThe release of the SCCRC documents is announced on the 10th of February 2010...
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