Tuesday, September 22, 2009

US calms row with Scotland over release of Lockerbie Bomber
























Dear All

It seems that the US government has seen sense and taken the pragmatic view that a continual argument over the release of Abdelbasset al-Megrahi does not serve the interests of either country.

After a series of harsh statements by US Officials, they seem to have clicked on to how the Scottish system of justice works.

This is a sensible step forward.

The US state department told the BBC's Newsnight Scotland it was "looking to move on" from the row.

After all, a continual row over a terminally ill man who was released on compassionate grounds looks incredibly bad from a US stand point.

Megrahi, who is terminally ill, was released from a Scottish prison last month and has flown home to Libya to die with his family.

To show how serious the row had become US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had said it would be "absolutely wrong" to allow Megrahi to go home to Libya.

State department spokesman Ian Kelly described America and Scotland as "very close allies".

Since the US acknowledges the close relationship with Scotland, it would be a good gesture on the part of the US administration to cancel the extradition of Gary McKinnon.

A lot of incredible damage has been done by George W Bush when President of United States of America, it is good that America is seeking to rebuild alliances and mutual trust.

I am sure that First Minister Alex Salmond will welcome this change of heart in American thinking and be pleased that things can get back to normal. It is a pity that such a small matter was blown out of proportion because of politics.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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