[What follows is an excerpt from an article by Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC MP, a former Tory Secretary of State for Scotland and Foreign Secretary, in today's edition of the London Evening Standard:]
It is not just Libyans who are entitled to celebrate Gaddafi's demise. The United Kingdom has a special interest in seeing the end of this despot. The destruction of PanAm flight 103 above Lockerbie in 1988 was the single greatest terrorist incident in Britain's history.
As Secretary of State for Scotland at the time, I had to visit Lockerbie hours after the explosion.
I toured the town with Margaret Thatcher and witnessed not only the debris from the stricken aircraft but the destruction and loss of life on the ground too.
The decision of the SNP government in Edinburgh to free convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi two years ago was unforgivably foolish, as were Tony Blair's naïve efforts to treat Gaddafi as a man with whom we could do business. He has remained, to the end, a vicious and cruel tyrant.
It is a relief that the present Government has been far more robust in its approach to Libya. David Cameron, in particular, is entitled to credit for taking the lead in calling for international action and ensuring that the RAF has been one of the lead participants in the successful Nato action.
Oddly he mentions nothing about the Tory legislation which introduced compassionate release from prison. I wonder why he failed to mention that?
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