Saturday 9 June 2012

Leaving Lockerbie behind

[This is the headline over an article by Jason Pack published today on the Project Syndicate website.  It reads in part:]

Last month, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the former Libyan intelligence officer convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, died in his home in Tripoli. With his burial, the engrained mistrust between Libya and the West, epitomized by Lockerbie’s enduring political potency, should be interred as well. It is time to move on. (...)

In the wake of the Lockerbie bombing – at the time the deadliest terrorist attack in history, and still the deadliest on British soil – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US President Ronald Reagan united in isolating Libya. They and their successors used Lockerbie as a pretext to press for the adoption of crippling UN sanctions. Indeed, from 1992-1999, Libya was literally cut off from the world: international flights to and from the country were banned. Meanwhile, GNP fell by more than a third; oil infrastructure rusted; and many Libyans grew up in a cocoon of Qaddafi’s anti-imperialist rhetoric.

Eventually, economic sanctions compelled Qaddafi to distance himself from international terror and to turn over Megrahi – as well as another suspect, Lamin Fhima, who was later acquitted – to face a Scottish tribunal at Camp Zeist in Holland. But there was never any conclusive evidence that Megrahi was involved in the Lockerbie bombing. In fact, most experts still believe that he was convicted using fraudulent evidence, and that the CIA bribed witnesses.

Furthermore, Libya formally accepted responsibility for the bombing, agreeing to pay more than $2 billion to victims’ families, and to abandon its weapons of mass destruction program. Yet, despite Qaddafi’s hope for a warmer embrace from Western leaders (and a flood of investment), the relationship remained plagued by mutual suspicion and frequent backsliding.

Anger over Scotland’s decision in 2009 to release Megrahi, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, ostensibly on humanitarian grounds, further poisoned Libya’s relations with the West. In Libyan diplomats’ eyes, Western countries had no right to chastise them; after all, they had paid reparations, and it was not their decision to release Megrahi. But skeptics claim that his release was intended to secure a favorable contract in Libya for British Petroleum, and Qaddafi’s erratic behavior, like declaring jihad against Switzerland in 2010, did little to build confidence.

If Megrahi was a powerful symbol of a century of mistrust between Libya and the West, his death can open the door to a new era of cooperation. In today’s Libya, French, American, and British flags abound, and young people dream of mastering a foreign language. Many members of the National Transitional Council were educated abroad and are eager for more Western capacity-building assistance. And Libya has officially requested that the UN monitor its elections next month.

But minor diplomatic breakdowns continue to threaten the relationship. To avoid reverting to old patterns, Western governments and companies must respect that there is a uniquely Libyan way of doing things, and understand that imposing Western norms simply will not work. At the same time, they should avoid grandstanding about Megrahi’s passing, and sensationalist Western media must not try to reinvigorate the controversy. Conversely, Libyans must stop seeing conspiracies behind every move in international diplomacy.

The Lockerbie tragedy is a dark chapter in Libya’s past, which all Libyans are eager to shake off. The West should let them.

7 comments:

  1. MISSION LOCKERBIE, 2012 (google translation, german/english):

    Libya and Mr. al- Megrahi have never accepted the moral and legal liability for the "Lockerbie Tragedy".
    After credible own statements, Libya and deceased Abdelbaset al-Megrahi have nothing to do with the "PanAm 103 atack".
    Notice finally part of the UN press release SC/7866 from 09/09/2003:
    (Security Council Action on lifting LIBYA Sanctions until 12 September)

    +++
    The Council was now moving towards resolution of that terrible affair, he continued. Libya had accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials, renounced terrorism and arranged for payment of appropriate compensation for the families of the victims.

    It had also expressed its commitment to cooperate with any further requests for information in connection with the investigation. All those were substantial gains, which could allow Libya to move back into the international community and bring the Council closer to lifting the sanctions.
    +++

    But Libya's official is innocent what now...?
    For find the truth, there is no "leaving behind Lockerbie", neither nor a statute of limitations ! This is a deformed wishful thinking by Jason Pack.

    by Edwin and Mahnaz Bollier, MEBO Ltd. Switzerland. URL: www.lockerbie.ch

    ReplyDelete
  2. MISSION LOCKERIE, 2012 (google translation, german/english)

    In order to check:

    Edwin Bollier (MEBO Ltd.) demand in addition on international mutual assistance of the Swiss authorities (ex BUPO) for control purposes-- by Lord Advocate in Scotland-- all from MEBO (1990) voluntary handing over MST-13 electronic timer-material back (after BUPO delivery note, including at least 12 piece green MST-13 circuit boards from company Thüring, several NYMPH quartz crystals number. 4.194303 etc.
    +++
    Edwin Bollier (MEBO Ltd) verlangt zusätzlich über die Internationale Rechtshilfe von den Schweizer Behörden (ex BUPO) für Kontrollzwecke, von Lord Advocate in Scotland, sämtliches von MEBO 1990 freiwillig zur Verfügung gestelltes MST-13 Elektronik-Material zurück (nach BUPO Lieferschein u.a. mindestens 12 Stück grüne MST-13 Circuit Boards von Firma Thüring, mehrere NYMPH Quarz Kristalle No. 4.194303 etc.

    by Edwin Bollier, MEBO Ltd. Telecommunication Switzerland. URL: www.lockerbie.ch

    ReplyDelete
  3. 'The Lockerbie tragedy is a dark chapter in Libya’s past, which all Libyans are eager to shake off.'

    This rubbish. Many Libyans are disgusted by the frame up of Megrahi by the UK and US.

    It appears to me Jason Pack serves the interests of the UK government who are really the ones eager to shake off their role in the imprisonment of an innocent man.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those immortal words ‘time to move on’ are both sensible and offensive.

    Their sensible after closure, but offensive when the guilty remain in office and use similar lies to commit more crimes.

    After being scapegoated for Lockerbie, Libya has been crippled by sanctions and financial extortion and indiscriminately bombed with the prospect of years of civil war.

    And now a fair minded ‘news report’ tells everyone to move on because ‘we are all guilty’ and need to look to the future.

    In reality this appeal is directed at the victims, because the CIA knows the truth about Lockerbie is like the stone in David’s slingshot that killed Goliath.

    America needs no invite to move on. They move on all the time and are presently attacking Syria and Iran.

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  5. A disgraceful piece. I have seen 'move on' used in this way defined as a legal term, meaning 'erase all record of a crime and its victims as there is no intention to arraign the perpetrator'.

    In connection with the Lockerbie case I've been trying to remember a little fragment of verse that was running in my head. Finally got it - the Ballad of Capital Punishment, by Cyril Hughes. It was quite a hunt - Google gives zero hits. Anyway, here's the last verse:

    But what we still are waiting for, and waiting for in vain,
    Is what they cannot tell us from their cumulative brain -
    Where can we find the scaffolding, the hangman and the cords
    To protect us from the judges and the bishops and the lords?

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  6. I have never read such absolute nonsense.

    "In today’s Libya, French, American, and British flags abound, and young people dream of mastering a foreign language. Many members of the National Transitional Council were educated abroad and are eager for more Western capacity-building assistance. And Libya has officially requested that the UN monitor its elections next month."

    First off, many on the NTC were former Gadaffi loyalists who jumped ship when the British, the French and the US didn't just "enforce a no fly zone" but started bombing in support of the rebels.

    Second: Libya called for UN Observers as soon as the uprising began. They were ignored! The public appeal by a Minister was made and broadcast here. I distinctly recall seeing discussion in a News studio immediately after where those in the discussion were nearly falling about laughing at the very idea they'd allow UN observers to go to Libya.

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  7. "But what we still are waiting for, and waiting for in vain,
    Is what they cannot tell us from their cumulative brain -
    Where can we find the scaffolding, the hangman and the cords
    To protect us from the judges and the bishops and the lords?"

    Well found Vronsky and thank you for posting.

    ReplyDelete