[What follows is the text of a press release issued today by the Scottish National Party.]
The challenge from SNP MSP and Lockerbie campaigner Christine Grahame comes after The Guardian reported that far from releasing all documents Mr Cameron would consult former Labour ministers first.
Ms Grahame, who is to write to Mr Cameron and the former Labour ministers on this matter said:
"David Cameron must not let Labour ministers protect their dirty little secrets. Cameron must also explain why he was totally silent when the PTA negotiations became public knowledge in June 2007 – thanks to the First Minister – and why the Tories as the Official Opposition at Westminster never spoke up against it. Were the Tories along with the then government lobbied by BP?
"Now is time for the UK Government to release all the information on the Prisoner Transfer Agreement, the deal in the desert and the negotiations between Tony Blair’s Government and Colonel Gaddafi’s regime.
"The Scottish Government has published all the relevant material it holds – where permission was given where that was required – and has been clear throughout that it rejected Tony Blair’s dodgy deal in the desert.
"Indeed, the US government refused publication of communications with the Scottish Government, and the UK government also held some material back. The US and UK must agree that all this material should be published.
"I have always believed that the UK Government had its own objectives when it came to Libya and was utterly hypocritical over Mr Megrahi’s release.
"David Miliband made clear last year that the UK Government wanted Megrahi released to help business interests. That tainted approach was rejected by the Scottish Government. It is only right that we know who Mr Miliband had been talking to and whose interests he favoured."
Ms Grahame intends to contact the Obama administration urging them to release any documents they may have on correspondence with either the UK, Scottish or Libyan Governments on Mr Megrahi after the US refused to allow the Scottish Government to release its correspondence.
"The US Government refused to allow the Scottish Government to release their correspondence.
"With Labour and Tory politicians and US senators making unsubstantiated and ill informed accusations the only way to bring clarity to families of victims on both sides of the Atlantic and to all those who want an inquiry would be for all the papers to be released in full."
[Another related SNP press release can be read here.]
I can appreciate that Christine Grahame has worked tirelessly on this matter but she too must be careful not to get caught up in distractions designed to make us all focus on the release and not on the original atrocity. Releasing papers about the PTA and the rest still don't get us anywhere near a full Inquiry into Lockerbie itself.
ReplyDeleteIt is already common knowledge that the person who started the ball rolling on Megrahi being used as a pawn for trade purposes was Blair. We don't need to prove it.