Friday, August 21, 2009

Labour anger has they can take no credit for freeing Al Megrahi


Dear All

Yesterday, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was released from prison to fly back home to Libya on compassionate grounds.

It was the right decision by the SNP Government and the most difficult decision that has ever faced Kenny MacAskill as Justice Minister.

Megrahi returned home to a jubilant welcome which British Foreign Secretary David Miliband described the scenes as "deeply distressing".

So, now after the release politics will start with politicians wanting to sound tough for the cameras and broadsheets.

The Lockerbie case is one of the worst cases of mass murder ever committed in Britain but doubts of the guilt of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi still hang over it.

One thing that is readily accepted by many is that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi didn’t receive a fair trial.

Now, people may never know what role the Americans played in ensuring that a conviction was found at all costs.

US President Barack Obama said his administration had told the Libyans that Megrahi should not receive a hero's welcome and should be placed under house arrest.

On what charge could the Libyans go this?

Col Gaddafi's son said;

"I would like to thank the Scottish government for its courageous decision and understanding of a special human situation."

I am sure that part of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s upset is that it was the Scottish Government releasing Megrahi on compassionate grounds and not through the Prisoner Transfer Agreement; now the Labour Government cannot claim any of the credit for his release.

I see this as the fuel to his anger.

In this case Scottish Justice won over UK Labour Government backdoor deals.

Despite Miliband’s fake outrage; we can expect him and other British Officials to start up relations very soon with Libya in order to win trade.

At that point he will go very quiet about Megrahi and say that both countries have moved on; he is that kind of hypocrite.

In fact, it has already started as he said some major British oil and gas companies, bidding for highly competitive contracts with the country could benefit from improved relations between Libya and the UK following Megrahi's release.

But what will be remembered by the Libyan Government is that it was compassion shown by the SNP Government that paved the way to normal relations being restored.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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