[This is the headline over a report in today's edition of The Herald. It reads in part:]
Pressure is mounting on Alex Salmond after it emerged that two warnings issued by the US Government about releasing Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi back to Libya have been borne out by events.
Just eight days before the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing boarded a plane back to Tripoli, Richard LeBaron, a diplomat at the US embassy in London, wrote to the First Minister, raising concerns that, if he had to be released, Megrahi should stay in Scotland because if he returned to Libya, he would receive a hero’s welcome.
LeBaron also told Salmond that a release on compassionate grounds would become increasingly hard to justify the longer the Libyan survived beyond the three-month prognosis.
The warnings from Washington have proved prescient as Megrahi was indeed given a hero’s welcome – complete with the flying of Scottish saltires at the airport, which caused revulsion across Scotland and beyond – and his survival after 11 months has prolonged the controversy about his release. (...)
The Herald revealed in 2005 that UK and US officials were meeting in secret to agree a way to transfer Megrahi back to Libya.
[See also the report in this week's Sunday Express headed "US Spy's secret 'desert deal' before release of Lockerbie bomber".]
Just eight days before the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing boarded a plane back to Tripoli, Richard LeBaron, a diplomat at the US embassy in London, wrote to the First Minister, raising concerns that, if he had to be released, Megrahi should stay in Scotland because if he returned to Libya, he would receive a hero’s welcome.
ReplyDeleteThat would be August 12, the same day Megrahi filed to drop his appeal. A letter from US Senators, including Kerry and Kennedy, was sent the same day, urging the bomber - who had just surrendered his appeal in order to leave - should not leave.
I do appreciate MacAskill at least denying that cold-hearted request. It was bad enough to trick the man out his appeal.
I'm not sure why pressure will be "mounting on Alex Salmond" in the light of these "warnings" by America. Let's break them down. They thought the Libyans would be happy to have Megrahi home and they thought Megrahi may not die within their set timescale. That's it? This should put pressure on Salmond now because the Americans are now seen to have been right? Sorry, the article is kind of desperate I would say. Interesting tho about the prediction re celebrations on Megrahi's return. Makes you wonder where those Saltires really came from.
ReplyDeleteOn the radio this morning, it was mentioned almost as an aside, that the prisoner transfer had already been rejected at that stage, so it wasn't really an issue.
ReplyDeleteOf course it hadn't been formally rejected, but the commentator was right anyway - everybody and his dog knew then that this was all about the compassionate release and the prisoner transfer wasn't seriously on the table. Which makes this charade about dropping the appeal all the more reprehensible.
This is just swinging back to a stick to beat the SNP with, and simply highlights once again the iniquitous injustice of all the blind assertions that Megrahi is guilty. The opposite is so self-evidently the case from any dispassionate examination of the evidence, that sometimes I simply despair of my fellow-countrymen.
Rolfe well don't despair. There are plenty of people who think as we do so we aren't alone. I do get angry sometimes tho that so many ordinary folk are watching this all go by and not saying very much. But sadly that is the way things are now in Scotland, and elsewhere, when it comes to things we should care deeply about. Apathy allows politicians to behave as they like, say what they like, fail to act when they like, deny justice when they like because not enough of us are telling them we won't let them do it.
ReplyDeleteWe should be proud of the Scottish Government that Megrahi is home. I hold on to that even when I'm angry at some quotes coming out, like the asides of Salmond and MacAskill that Megrahi is guilty. I think there are questions surrounding some of the things MacAskill did concerning that appeal. I get uneasy about that.
Ultimately tho, this Scottish Government did what they thought was best and had no one elsewhere whose orders they needed to follow. Gray would not have had that luxury had he been First Minister at the time, nor would Goldie or Scott had they been associated with any sort of coalition at Holyrood. Their position would have been dictated from London.
The very good thing Rolfe is that the issue is in the news again. The approach of the US in summoning UK and Scottish politicians to answer to them has incensed many ordinary people here who were outraged at the very idea. I heard one man say just the other day, "How many yanks did we bring over here after their negligence killed 167 men in the North Sea?" Its a very good question. And in the light of the BP matter, it certainly takes you back. Occidental got a slap on the wrist yet how will we ever forget the sight of the Piper burning and the knowledge that men were dying right there and then? And even now in the North Sea, if you mention Health and Safety you'll find that next payday you'll be told they're "letting you go". We (the UK) have the reputation in the North Sea of having the worst Health and Safety regime and few foreign oil workers want to work in the UK sector. That says it all about how we dealt with Occidental and others like them.
So people are well browned off with the US and suddenly many are saying, "Well let's just get this Lockerbie business sorted once and for all. Let's have the whole story. Let's investigate all of it." That has to be good.
Jo, I see you're heading up today's letters page. Well done, excellent letter!
ReplyDeleteI heartily concur.
ReplyDelete