Saturday 6 February 2016

Kenny MacAskill secures deal to write Lockerbie book

[This is the headline over a report by David Leask published in today’s edition of The Herald. It reads as follows:]

Kenny MacAskill is set to publish a book revealing details about his own investigation into the Lockerbie bomb attack.
The former justice secretary has signed a deal with a major London publisher that will focus on far more than just Mr MacAskill's own personal involvement in the case.
In 2009, he released Libyan security operative Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted of the crime, on compassionate grounds.
The veteran politician - who stands down as an MSP next month - will use years of experience, insight and contacts to shed light on Scotland's biggest crime of the modern era.
Mr MacAskill said: "I can confirm I have a contract with Biteback to publish a book on Lockerbie and that I am represented by Caroline Michel."
Biteback, which is owned by tycoon Brian Ashcroft and Conservative commentator Iain Dale, specialises in major political books.
Recent publications include Lord Ashcroft's controversial biography of David Cameron Call Me Dave, the autobiography of UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the independence referendum memoires of Alan Cochrane, the Scottish editor of the Daily Telegraph.
The book will be the latest to try and unravel why Pan Am Flight 103 crashed in to a Scottish town, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 people on the ground, in December 1988.
It will view the single event as part of a far wider process that began long before the bombing and continues to the present day.
Mr MacAskill was tight-lipped about details to be revealed in the book. But Lockerbie-watchers will look out for hints of diplomatic intrigue surrounding Lockerbie and the remarkable effort to have Mr Megrahi brought to justice.
Mr Megrahi died in Libya in 2012 continuing to protest his innocence. Scottish and US law enforcement agencies are convinced Libya was responsible for the mass murders.

7 comments:

  1. Another deliberate spoiler aimed at bolstering the collapsing Crown case?

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    1. A little off topic - but did you notice the recent Somali airliner bombing Rolfe?
      Miraculously the plane failed to peel itself like an orange, managed to land safely and the only casualty (apparently) was the suicide bomber.

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    2. Hi, Little Grey Rabbit!

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  2. I think i would have to agree with you on that Rolfe. We all know Megrahi was innocent and so did MacAskill yet he stood back and allowed him to be convicted. Can't see that he has anything to add that he hasn't said already. The real truth of what was going on behind the scenes will stay hidden. You can be sure of that.

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    1. To be fair, he had nothing to do with Megrahi's conviction. The SNP weren't in power then and I'm not even sure if MacAskill was an MSP.

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  3. I hope he writes in his book that that the crime started in the U.S.A.

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  4. Excellent! The apologists keeping the case against them hot.

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