[This is the headline over a report in today's edition of The Herald. It reads in part:]
Scottish ministers insisted yesterday that they had nothing to fear from a call for “whistleblowers” to reveal fresh evidence about the release of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.
American senators are to appeal for doctors, lawyers and others who may have knowledge of events surrounding his release to come forward.
The politicians, who promise they will protect the identities of would-be informers, believe the information should be made public out of “compassion” for the 270 victims of the bombing.
But the extraordinary call, expected later this week, will mark a further deterioration in transatlantic relations in the run-up to the first anniversary of the release on Friday of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi. (...)
A spokesman for Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill insisted that ministers were “not concerned” about the call for whistleblowers.
He said that any extra evidence that emerged would not contradict the Scottish Government’s version of events, adding: “We are not concerned about this at all.”
He also suggested that although two of the senators involved, including Robert Menendez from New Jersey, are members of the Foreign Relations Committee, which is looking into the issue, they increasingly appear to be acting as individual politicians.
“Senator Menendez appears now to be acting on his own account, rather than on behalf of the Foreign Relations Committee,” the spokesman said.
[The Scotsman today runs three Megrahi-related articles. The first, Doctors cast fresh doubt on case for freeing Megrahi is a rehash of the stories that appeared in the Sunday newspapers yesterday. The second, Senator 'misunderstands' says MacAskill deals with the Justice Department reaction to the whistleblowing call. The third, 'We want the truth: who murdered our families?' deals with the letter to editors sent by the Justice for Megrahi campaign.]
Kenny MacAskill's response to the latest breach of international protocol by the US is pathetic. They have issued a general appeal to medical professionals to break the law: that is what this amounts to and all he says is "We have nothing to fear." It really is high time the Scottish Government said publicly to the US that enough is enough and we will not be treated this way. Who do the Americans think they are dealing with here, Palestine?
ReplyDeleteThere is a good little video soundbite on the Daily Record news page this morning called,"Lockerbie families call for fresh investigation". The two minute edit is an interview with Pamela Dix, sister of one of the victims, calling on David Cameron to instigate an investigation into all of the Megrahi affair. It is a very timely contribution and she speaks very cohesively about her wishes on behalf of her sister and others.
ReplyDeleteMorning Bloggy. This is so depressing today. I really can't believe that Edinburgh and London are failing completely to react to what amounts to an appeal from a foreign country to Medical Professionals here, to give them information about a patient illegally.
ReplyDeleteBloggy thank you for that. I will go and find it.
ReplyDeleteBloggy, there's something called a "guest blog" on the Record site too which is fabulous. I've mailed a link to the Prof and maybe he'll link it here.
ReplyDeleteAye, that's the blog that George Galloway (miaow) writes on, including a good wee bit about the Megrahi affair. You might not agree with everything he says, but Galloway is the latest in a small (too small) line of fearless Scots who defend a principle and are not frightened off by the establishment (foreign or domestic).
ReplyDeleteJo G: I searched for which US news sites were carrying the 'whistleblower' story. Can't find one. Maybe you can do a better search? Is this whole whistleblower thing stoked up by the news people over here? If so, the government spokespersons are going to ignore it, quite rightly. It seems to me everytime this story starts to look as if it's expiring by natural causes - someone over here breathes new life into it (for completely local reasons) - hoping to keep the patient alive until the Senate committee hearings resuscitate it fully - cynical?
ReplyDeleteWhy don`t our newspapers stop publishing the more and more hysterical `requests` from the Failing Four Democrats. They will do anything to keep their names before their voters, and have had nothing but rejection to show for it. More and more desperate by the day, then can see themselves looking for work after their Election- let`s all shut up, and let that happen. Eric
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ReplyDeleteBloggy, you could be right but reports seem to suggest they are building up to a big announcement on the anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI still believe however that by this time formal protests by both the London and Edinburgh governments should already have been registered about the conduct of the US in this matter. They are breaching international law. That we are seen to be ignoring it really can't be acceptable.
Etytore, oh I agree they're using the issues for votes but I can't agree that we should shut up.
ReplyDeleteBloggy I found this:
ReplyDeletehttp://content.usatoday.com/topics/article/Organizations/Companies/Transportation,+Travel,+Hospitality/Boeing/0eIP8Yh8iKeWc/1
And this
ReplyDeletehttp://sec.floridatoday.com/article/0c3q19I6a68Sl?q=Scotland
Bloggy, I was actually disappointed with Galloway's last performance on Question Time. This issue was raised and he was not his usual self I felt.
ReplyDeleteYes he has tremendous skills many politicians can only dream about. His performance before Congress was truly sensational and a lesson to us all that indeed the most powerful nations can be put in their places with the right approach. I just wish the Scottish Government would realise this too.
Ok, Jo G, that kind of confirms my suspicions - those two links, which are on some kind of web collator despite being an US site, come straight back to the Scotsman article. I wonder if there is any copy being written in the US about this story by US journalists - doubt it.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to differentiate the two because it indicates which side of the pond this story was invented on.
I looked at the NJ news sites and would have expected to have seen a mention of this story, since this is the home state of a couple of the main protagonists - nothing.
Now I suspect later today they may pick up the thread but then they are just being fed a line...from over here.
Maybe Caustic can help, although I think he posted yesterday that he hadn't seen much either.
ReplyDeleteJo G: Heard this Jo? Brighten up your rainy Monday afternoon. Galloway can interview better than Paxman :) and guess who his interviewee calls a crank?
ReplyDeleteDetective Galloway
Bloggy, EEK! Its amazing. Did Duggan lose it or what? What a performance by Galloway. But I thought Duggan at one point was going to have a seizure. Just as well he hung up, he probably would have! Thank you. It certainly did bring the sun out. : )
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