Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi Has Died in Libya: Brother
REUTERS.COM: The former Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people has died, his brother said on Sunday. He was 59.

Abdel Basset al-Megrahi died at home after a long battle with cancer. His health had deteriorated quickly overnight, his brother Abdulhakim told Reuters.

"He was surrounded by his family and died in his house," Abdulhakim said on Sunday. » | Hadeel Al Shalchi | TRIPOLI | Reuters | Sunday, May 20, 2012

New Evidence Casts Doubt in Lockerbie Case
The conviction of a Libyan man for blowing up a passenger jet over Scotland in 1988 could be seriously undermined by new evidence.

Libya: Britain Told US Not to Intervene in Lockerbie Bomber Release
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The British ambassador to the US told America it should not intervene to stop the release of the Lockerbie bomber from a Scottish prison, according to leaked diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and passed to the Daily Telegraph.

Nigel Sheinwald told James Steinberg, the US Deputy Secretary of State, that he was "concerned" that the demands of victims' families were unduly influencing US policy.

His comments came during critical negotiations over whether Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the murder of 270 passengers on Pan Am Flight 103, should be switched to a Libyan jail to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Sir Nigel was Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser between 2003 and 2007 and played a key role, alongside the Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, in bringing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi back into the international fold. He was at Mr Blair's side for the first meeting with Colonel Gaddafi in 2007 that resulted in a substantial BP oil contract.

The cable, obtained by WikiLeaks and passed to the Daily Telegraph, is dated February 2009. It states: "Sheinwald asked that the US continue to consult with the UK in the possible transfer of ailing Pan Am bomber Abdel-Basset al-Megrahi from the UK to Libya. Specifically, he said HMG supported the discussions this week between UK and US officials to define a common strategy.

"Sheinwald cited concern that the Pan Am victims' families were asking for direct US intervention to stop the transfer. He asked that the United States delay "for a few days" any intervention with the Scottish authorities, who will ultimately decide on the transfer." » | Steven Swinford | Sunday, April 10, 2011

Libya: Moussa Koussa 'Could Leave Britain'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moussa Koussa, the Libyan defector, could be allowed to leave the country, William Hague has said.

The foreign secretary said Mr Koussa, who faces inquiries from the International Criminal Court and families of the victims of Libyan terrorists, would not be forced to return to Libya, adding: "There are quite a range of places that he could go to live."

Mr Hague's comments, in an interview with Sky News, came as relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims accepted he may never face trial in Britain.

Susan Cohen, who lost her only daughter on Pan Am Flight 103 said the former intelligence chief "should probably be hanged for what he has done" but she had no expectation of him ending up in a Scottish court.

She added that American relatives were more interested in the British authorities using him to "get to" Col Muammar Gaddafi than in seeing Mr Koussa on trial. » | Auslan Cramb, James Kirkup and Duncan Gardham | Friday, April 08, 2011

Libya: Dilemma over Defector's 'Electrifying' Lockerbie Information
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron was under pressure last night to ensure that the Libyan defector who arrived in Britain earlier this week co-operates with authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing, the murder of Pc Yvonne Fletcher and potential war crimes.

Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister, who fled to Britain on Wednesday, is described as having "electrifying" information on Col Muammar Gaddafi's role in terrorist atrocities across Europe.

Yesterday the Prime Minister said he would not block any attempts by the police to question Mr Koussa.

Mr Cameron stressed that Mr Koussa had not been offered a deal in return for fleeing to Britain and had not been granted immunity from prosecution. But if the defector is arrested and charged with crimes, it may undermine attempts by Western governments to encourage others in Col Gaddafi's inner circle to flee from Libya, a key aim of current diplomatic efforts.

Mr Koussa may also be reluctant to co-operate fully with British officials if he is not given guarantees about his future.

Last night, the Scottish prosecuting authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing formally requested access to Mr Koussa, a right-hand man to Col Gaddafi for more than 30 years.

International prosecutors investigating war crimes in Libya are also expected to seek interviews with the defector. Yesterday, the Libyan rebel leadership demanded he be returned to the country to face war-crime charges.

Mr Koussa, who was likened yesterday to Rudolf Hess by a Conservative MP, is being interrogated by MI6 at an unknown location.

It is not clear whether information obtained by MI6 will be made public.

Senior Whitehall sources indicated that Scotland Yard was unlikely to get involved "at the moment". » | Robert Winnett, Andrew Porter and Damien McElroy in Tripoli | Thursday, March 31, 2011

Libya's Ex-Minister Reportedly Claims Qaddafi Ordered Lockerbie Bombing
FOX NEWS: Swedish tabloid Expressen says Libya's ex-justice minister claims Muammar al-Qaddafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people in 1988.

Expressen on Wednesday quoted Mustafa Abdel-Jalil as telling their correspondent in Libya that "I have proof that Qaddafi gave the order about Lockerbie." He didn't describe the proof.

Abdel-Jalil stepped down as justice minister to protest the violence against anti-government demonstrations.

He told Expressen Qaddafi gave the order to Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the only man convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground.

"To hide it, he (Qaddafi) did everything in his power to get al-Megrahi back from Scotland," Abdel-Jalil was quoted as saying. >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, February 23, 2011

WikiLeaks Files Reveal 'Cold, Callous and Brutal' Behaviour of Ministers
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A mother who lost her daughter in the Lockerbie attack has condemned the “cold, callous and brutal” behaviour of British ministers after WikiLeaks documents revealed how they secretly advised Libya on securing the successful early release of the bomber.

Documents obtained by the Daily Telegraph show that a Foreign Office minister sent Libyan officials detailed legal advice on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis to ensure he was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds.

The Duke of York is also said to have played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging the terrorist’s release.

Susan Cohen, whose only daughter Theodora, 20, was one of 35 students from Syracuse University who died, said: “I am not surprised by this latest news but I am glad it is out there.

“I almost feel like laughing. This confirms everything that we have been saying, that business and oil deals were being done behind the scenes.”

Mrs Cohen attacked the Scottish Government's request for families of the victims to contribute in the lead-up to the decision, noting that the new documents suggest ministers had already made up their mind to approve Megrahi's return home.

“How cruel that was to put the families through that,” she added. “It shows how cold, callous and brutal this whole affair has been. >>> Auslan Cramb, Christopher Hope and Robert Winnett | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

WikiLeaks: Britain Secretly Advised Libya How to Secure Release of Lockerbie Bomber
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ministers secretly advised Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan regime how to secure the successful early release of the Lockerbie bomber, documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph have disclosed.

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi clasps the hand of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's son, after arriving back in Tripoli. Photograph: The Daily Telegraph
A Foreign Office minister sent Libyan officials detailed legal advice on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis to ensure he was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds.

The Duke of York is also said to have played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging the terrorist’s release.

The Libyans closely followed the advice which led to the controversial release of Megrahi – who was convicted of the murder of 270 passengers on Pan Am Flight 103 – within months of the Foreign Office’s secret intervention.

The disclosure seriously undermines British Government claims that is was not complicit in the release of al-Megrahi, and that the decision to free the convicted terrorist was taken by the Scottish Executive alone.

It will also lead to renewed pressure from senior American politicians on David Cameron to release all internal documents detailing Britain’s role in the scandal. Last summer, the Prime Minister pledged to release the relevant information – but the publication has yet to occur sparking fears that a cover-up may have been ordered. >>> Christopher Hope and Robert Winnett | Monday, January 31, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks cables show Government was 'playing false' over Lockerbie bomber: WikiLeaks documents that disclose how British ministers secretly advised Libya on securing the successful early release of the Lockerbie bomber demonstrate that Tony Blair's Government was "playing false" over the issue, Alex Salmond has said. >>> Christopher Hope, and Robert Winnett | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks: How Libya trade fears forced British ministers to back release of Lockerbie bomber >>> Robert Winnett and Christopher Hope | Monday, January 31, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks: Yvonne Fletcher suspect 'a key player in US-Libya relations' – One of the two men who faces accusations over his role in the shooting of the British policewoman Yvonne Fletcher is now a “key player” in American-Libya relations, the documents show. >>> Christopher Hope | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Das erstaunlich lange Leben des Lockerbie-Attentäters: Die britischen Gutachter machten Rechnung offenbar ohne die Pharmazie
NZZ ONLINE: Abdelbasset al-Megrahi will und will nicht sterben. Der verurteilte Lockerbie-Attentäter war vor einem Jahr aus schottischer Haft entlassen worden, weil er todgeweiht sei. Dank eines gängigen Medikaments lebt er immer noch und bringt die Verantwortlichen in Verlegenheit.

Aus humanitären Gründen war der im Jahr 2001 wegen des Lockerbie-Attentats zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilte libysche Geheimagent Abdelbasset al-Megrahi von der schottischen Regierung begnadigt worden. Er habe wegen eines fortgeschrittenen Prostatakrebses nur noch maximal drei Monate zu leben, lautete die ärztliche Diagnose. Dies erlaubte es der schottischen Regierung, den 59-Jährigen in seine Heimat ausreisen zu lassen. Dort wurde er als Held gefeiert und Oberst Ghadhafi kostete den Triumph vor laufenden Kameras aus.

Deal zugunsten BPs

Inzwischen ist ein Jahr vergangen und Megrahi lebt immer noch. Und damit bringt er die damaligen Entscheidungsträger in arge Verlegenheit. Inzwischen ist nämlich klar geworden, dass die Freilassung Teil eines langen diplomatischen Ränkespiels zwischen der britischen und der libyschen Regierung war, welche schliesslich dem Energiekonzern BP den Zugang zu grosse Ölvorkommen vor der libyschen Küste sicherte. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> spi. | Montag, 16. August 2010

Senators Demand Lockerbie Bomber's Medical Records
THE TELEGRAPH: US senators have called on the Scottish government to disclose the Lockerbie bomber's full medical records in an attempt to understand why he was released early.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in hospital in Tripoli shortly after his release. Photo: The Telegraph
In a letter to First Minister Alex Salmond they asked for the release of all medical documentation for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi both while under Scottish care and after.

They also asked the Scottish government to issue the names, medical training and specialisations of the doctors who examined Megrahi.

The Libyan, who has cancer, was diagnosed with three months to live and was freed on August 20 last year.

The medical report which led to Megrahi being released on compassionate grounds went to Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on August 10 last year.

Andrew Fraser, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) director of health and care, said in the report no specialist ''would be willing to say'' if a three-month prognosis was reasonable.

The four senators said that examining the Libyan's full medical records would help clarify the circumstances surrounding his release. >>> | Wednesday, August 11, 2010

US Fury At Lockerbie Inquiry Snub
SKY NEWS: US senators conducting an inquiry into possible links between BP and the release of the Lockerbie bomber have reacted with fury after British ministers refused to give evidence. Greg Milam reports.

Tony Hayward. Photo: The Telegraph
Outgoing BP Chief Executive Refuses to Attend US Lockerbie Hearing
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Hayward, the outgoing chief executive of BP, is refusing to appear before a US Senate hearing which is examining whether the oil giant played any part in the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The refusal of Mr Hayward, who announced his resignation on Tuesday, to travel to Washington was attacked by senior senators who said the company was already on "thin ice with the American people".

Senators are to continue pushing for Mr Hayward to appear, saying they wanted to question him over whether BP "advocated trading blood for oil".

The firm is also refusing to allow Sir Mark Allen- a former MI6 official who helped negotiate a valuable Libyan oil contract for BP with Colonel Gaddafi – to appear at the hearing.

BP has admitted that Sir Mark, an adviser to the firm, also spoke to Jack Straw, the former Justice Secretary, about Britain introducing a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.

BP announced that it would instead send Peter Mather, the company's head of UK operations to appear before the Senate hearing. It is not clear whether this will be acceptable to the senators.

Robert Menéndez, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, said: "I would have thought that a company on thin ice with the American people for devastating the Gulf Coast would want to fully co-operate with our effort to fully understand the release of a terrorist who murdered 189 Americans". >>> Robert Winnett in Washington | Tuesday, July 27, 2010

What was that they used to speak about back in the good ol' days? It was something like ‘special relationship’. Hum! I wonder if that’s it? – Mark

Anger Over Scottish Justice Minister's Lockerbie Inquiry Snub
THE GUARDIAN: Kenny MacAskill, who released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, will not fly to US for Senate foreign relations committee

Scotland's justice secretary Kenny MacAskill. Photograph: The Guardian
The Scottish justice minister has been accused of "running a mile" from a US inquiry into the release of the Libyan jailed for the Lockerbie bombing.

Labour and Tory leaders said Kenny MacAskill, of the Scottish National Party, had no justification for refusing a "perfectly legitimate" request to give evidence before a powerful US Senate committee on Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's release next week.

The Senate foreign relations committee is to hold hearings next Thursday into allegations, ignited by the Gulf oil spill controversy, that the British oil giant BP influenced a UK government prisoner transfer treaty with Libya to win lucrative contracts there.

The hearing has reignited the controversy over al-Megrahi's compassionate release from Greenock prison last August, partway through his life sentence for planting the bomb which killed 270 mainly American passengers and crew on a Pan Am flight to New York over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

Al-Megrahi, who still insists he is innocent, had been fighting an appeal against his conviction but dropped it two weeks before his release because he was terminally ill with inoperable prostate cancer and wanted to return home to die.

Richard Baker, Labour justice spokesman at the Scottish parliament, said: "There is a legitimacy for the US senators, they represent so many of the families who lost loved ones on that flight, I think it's a perfectly legitimate request."

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Baker added: "I think it speaks volumes about the lack of confidence [MacAskill] has now in his own decision that he is running a mile from any scrutiny of it." >>> Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent | Friday, July 23, 2010

Fury as Doctor Who Said Lockerbie Bomber Would Die In Three Months Admits: He Could Live for a Decade
MAIL ONLINE: The cancer expert who predicted the Lockerbie bomber would die within three months of his release from prison has admitted he could live for another ten years or more.

Professor Karol Sikora, who had diagnosed Abdelbaset Al Megrahi with terminal cancer, faced calls to apologise to victims' families last night.

Campaigners reacted with fury to the professor's comments, which they said raised new questions about the decision to allow Megrahi to return to his native Libya.

Tory MP Ben Wallace, a former member of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said: 'The doctor that carried out this diagnosis owes his regret to the families of the victims.

'He should apologise to the victims for contributing to the release of a mass murderer, who is clearly alive and well in Libya.

'Throughout this whole sorry affair the victim has been put last behind trade deals, Scotish Nationalist posturing and dubious medical diagnosis.' >>> Jack Doyle | Monday, July 05, 2010

Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed alMegrahi Linked to Libya’s Chemical Weapons
THE SUNDAY TIMES: THE man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing was implicated in the purchase and development of chemical weapons by Libya, according to documents produced by the American government.

The papers also claim that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed alMegrahi sought to buy 1,000 letter bombs from Greek arms dealers while working as a Libyan intelligence officer.

The documents, prepared by the US State Department, raise further questions about the wisdom of the Scottish government in releasing the convicted bomber on compassionate grounds in August.

The documents, written in 1992, were based on information gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency to bolster the case against Libya for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 which killed 270 people.

They claim that Megrahi’s “deep involvement in Libya’s most sensitive, high-priority procurement operations indicates that he enjoyed the fullest confidence of Libya’s leadership”. >>> Mark Macaskill | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Gadhafi Says He 'Comprehends' Lockerbie Anger
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said he could "comprehend" the anger directed at him by Americans who lost relatives in the Lockerbie bombing, trying to strike a conciliatory tone a day after calling the United Nations Security Council a "terror council."

In an hour-long interview, Col. Gadhafi said he hoped to build a new era of relations with U.S. President Barack Obama -- whom he called "my son" during the same U.N. address -- and said he wanted to place his nation's decades-long conflict with Washington in the past.

The Libyan strongman denied his government had purposefully stoked nationalist sentiment surrounding the return home of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet that blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland. Mr. al-Megrahi, who has cancer, was released by Scottish authorities last month on humanitarian grounds.

Lockerbie families have particularly criticized the British and Scottish governments for the release of Mr. al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer. Legislators in the U.S. and U.K. have called for inquiries into whether the move was tied to lucrative Libyan oil deals. Libyan and U.K. leaders have denied this.

Col. Gadhafi also said Mr. al-Megrahi's release came through proper legal channels. But he added that British companies have benefited in the past from the absence of U.S. firms inside Libya. Sanctions imposed on Libya after the Lockerbie bombing barred American oil companies from operating in the North African country until 2004.

"You see, Britain, even though it makes it look like it's in alliance with America, and being America's ally, kept its companies in Libya and they were doing business when the American companies left the Libyan market," Col. Gadhafi said.

He said he believed Mr. al-Megrahi's release, and the billions of dollars paid out by his government to the Lockerbie victims' families, could now allow U.S.-Libyan relations to move forward. "As a case, the Lockerbie question: I would say it's come to an end, legally, politically, financially, it is all over," Col. Gadhafi, wearing black boots and an ankle-length cape, said. "I would say, thank Allah that this problem has been solved to the satisfaction of all parties. We all feel the pain for such a tragedy."

Family members of the Lockerbie victims voiced outrage Thursday that Col. Gadhafi was allowed to visit New York this week, in the Libyan leader's first trip to the U.S. following decades of conflict with Washington. >>> Jay Solomon | Friday, September 25, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi Releases Appeal Dossier
TIMES ONLINE: The Lockerbie bomber today released the papers that he believes would have secured his release on appeal.

In an act of revenge on the Scottish legal system Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi published the 300-page dossier which challenges key planks of the prosecution case against him.

The papers detail how his identification as the man who purchased clothing found wrapped around the bomb that caused the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 was flawed. The evidence by Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci was crucial to the Libyan's conviction.

It also argues there was insufficient evidence to prove the date of the purchase and questions the prosecution's claim that the bomb was planted at Luqa airport in Malta.

Al-Megrahi said in a statement: “I have returned to Tripoli with my unjust conviction still in place.

“As a result of the abandonment of my appeal, I have been deprived of the opportunity to clear my name through the formal appeal process.

“I have vowed to continue my attempts to clear my name.” >>> Charlene Sweeney | Friday, September 18, 2009

Crise Libyenne : L’accueil du terroriste de Lockerbie a été évoquée à Berne
LE TEMPS: Démarche inédite d’un industriel zurichois

L’idée est venue d’un industriel zurichois, Edwin Bollier. Après le déclenchement de la crise libyenne, ce fabriquant d’équipements militaires et de matériel de renseignement a contacté le Département fédéral des affaires étrangères pour suggérer d’accueillir en Suisse l’auteur de l’attentat de Lockerbie, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, a révélé mercredi soir l’émission Rundschau de la TV alémanique.

Edwin Bollier raconte qu’il a pris l’initiative d’écrire à Micheline Calmy-Rey après avoir appris qu’al-Megrahi souffrait d’un cancer de la prostate. Il s’est dit que l’accueil en Suisse, à titre humanitaire, de cet homme gravement malade pourrait permettre d’apaiser le conflit opposant la Suisse à la Libye. >>> LT | Jeudi 10 Septembre 2009

Affaire Kadhaf : Qui sont vraiment les deux otages suisses?
LE TEMPS: Le DFAE a confirmé mercredi soir qu’un des deux otages suisses entretenait des contacts privés avec la famille du premier ministre libyen. Contactée par «Le Temps», l’épouse de l’otage s’insurge: «On dépeint mon mari comme un marchand d’armes, un espion! Mais c’est indécent!». L’affaire se complique.

L’affaire des deux Suisses retenus depuis le 19 juillet 2008 à Tripoli se complique. Dernier épisode en date: «24 heures» affirme que Rachid H., ingénieur suisso-tunisien de 68 ans, a des contacts étroits avec la famille du Premier ministre libyen. Et, surtout, qu’il aurait effectué un voyage en Tunisie il y a quelques semaines. Contactée par le Temps, sa femme dément cette information. Le Département fédéral des Affaires étrangères (DFAE), où règne une certaine nervosité, n’oppose pas de démenti officiel en revanche quant à ce supposé voyage qui laisserait beaucoup de questions ouvertes. Mais un simple «on ne peut pas s’exprimer à l’heure actuelle sur cet élément». Le département confirme cependant que Rachid H. a bien des contacts privés avec la famille du premier ministre.

Le Tages-Anzeiger lui, avait publié dans la journée, sur son site internet, des PV de séances des commissions de politique extérieure. Micheline Calmy a déclaré, en février dernier, qu’un des deux Suisses «se trouve régulièrement à la table du premier ministre libyen et joue au tennis», y apprend-on. Rachid H. connaît effectivement bien le pays pour y avoir vécu. Il habite «dans un domicile privé à environ 200 kilomètres de Tripoli», affirme le DFAE. Depuis quelques jours, il se trouverait en revanche dans les locaux de l’ambassade. Max G., 54 ans et directeur de la filiale d’ABB à Tripoli, a lui trouvé refuge dès le début de l’affaire à l’ambassade de Suisse alors qu’il résidait depuis 1 an et demi en Libye au moment de son arrestation. Il serait, dit-on, très marqué par sa situation. >>> Valérie de Graffenried | Jeudi 10 Septembre 2009

Affaire Libyenne : «Mon mari est constamment sous surveillance»
LE TEMPS: Fâchée par ce qu’elle a pu lire ou entendre dans les médias au sujet de son mari, l’épouse de l’otage helvético-tunisien retenu à Tripoli depuis plus d’un an a décidé de sortir de sa réserve. Entretien.

Le Temps: Dans quel état d’esprit êtes-vous actuellement?

– Je suis outrée par la désinformation et le manque de professionnalisme de certains médias, qui n’hésitent pas à écrire n’importe quoi au sujet de mon mari sans se donner la peine de vérifier ce qu’ils diffusent. On le dépeint comme un marchand d’armes, un espion, mais c’est indécent! Tout comme le fait d’affirmer que mon mari est parti en vacances en Tunisie frise la diffamation. Sur quelles bases se permet-on de raconter cela? Il faut arrêter de mettre de l’huile sur le feu en alignant des histoires abracadabrantes alors que les deux Suisses sont toujours à Tripoli, à la merci du régime libyen.

– Avez-vous eu l’occasion d’en parler avec votre mari?

– Je peux lui parler et lui envoyer des email tous les jours. S’il était parti en vacances, je le saurais.
– Dans votre village, personne n’était au courant que l’un des deux Suisses est votre époux. Pourquoi êtes-vous restée silencieuse jusqu’à présent?

– Mais pourquoi serais-je allée raconter cela aux voisins? C’est un village où les gens ne se connaissent pas beaucoup. Je ne suis pas allée me confier au syndic, parce que je n’en voyais pas l’utilité. Et surtout, au début, je n’ai pas imaginé une seconde que mon mari resterait enfermé à Tripoli si longtemps. Je voulais préserver mes amis, mes proches. Mais aujourd’hui, je suis très soutenue par les gens qui me sont chers.

– Quand vous êtes partie en voyage avec Micheline Calmy-Rey à Tripoli, comment avez-vous évalué l’état de santé de votre époux?

– Un médecin était avec nous, il l’a ausculté, ainsi que l’autre Suisse. Je suis inquiète pour mon mari. Il a 68 ans, bientôt 69. Il est cardiaque, il prend des médicaments contre l’hyper tension, il devrait passer des examens. Quand je l’ai revu, il avait pris dix kilos, j’ai senti à quel point il se ronge de l’intérieur. Il a aussi un problème à l’œil, et des soucis aux dents. Moralement, mon mari a des hauts et des bas. Il fait peut-être de la décompensation. Au printemps, on a demandé un rapatriement humanitaire, mais nous n’avons reçu aucune réponse de la Libye. >>> Cynthia Gani | Jeudi 10 Septembre 2009

Dominic Lawson: Seventy Years On, We Are Still Appeasing Dictators
THE INDEPENDENT: In dealing with Libya the Foreign Office has been guilty of institutional cringe

In this, the week of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, British newspapers have published entire supplements, setting out once again how the policy of appeasing dictators showed a complete failure to understand the gangster psychology of totalitarian regimes.

Yet the unravelling tale of our current government's negotiations with the regime of Col Gaddafi is a more enthrallingly contemporary illustration of the unchanging institutional cringe known as the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We have learned – chiefly through the medium of government memos leaked to the Sunday Times – how the Foreign Office saw the release from Scottish custody of the convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, as a way of earning us good favour in the court of Megrahi's patron and distant relative, Muammar Gaddafi.

In some of these memos you can hear the sound of Foreign Office ministers past and present patting themselves on the back for the results of their negotiations. There is much discussion of the alleged trade benefits, notably a deal between BP and Libya. But two days ago the Libyan Europe Minister, Abdulati al-Obeidi, admitted to that outstanding foreign correspondent Hala Jaber that even if the British Government had set its face against the release of Megrahi, it was "highly unlikely" that the deal with BP would have been cancelled: "Libya also looks out for its interests and to cease the BP deal is not in our interests." Indeed so: last week we learned of BP's astonishing discovery of a 3 billion-barrel oilfield 35,000ft below the Gulf of Mexico seabed, far and away the deepest well ever drilled. If you were the Libyan regime you would very much want the company with such technological leadership helping you to find oil on your territory.

There is a more particular sense in which the Foreign Office has played the hand of the appeaser in its negotiations. The Libyans had made dark noises about the likely reaction of their own population should Megrahi die in Scottish custody – something along the lines of "in such an eventuality we cannot guarantee the safety of British citizens in Libya". This unsubtle threat should have been greeted with the observation that it was the responsibility of the Libyan Government to ensure the safety of innocent British citizens on its territory. Instead we seem to have behaved like the weak tradesman confronted by an unscrupulous protection racketeer.

It is, of course, very embarrassing when craven behaviour comes to light via a leaked memo to the Sunday Times. Hence Gordon Brown's overnight conversion to the idea of asking the Foreign Office to assist with the claims for compensation of the victims of IRA bombs constructed from Semtex provided by Libya – having earlier told the victims' lawyers that the Government could have nothing to do with their campaign.

Yet this attempt to regain the high moral ground is even more contemptible than the decision to leave those victims of Libyan Semtex out of the original deal. When Britain and America did their separate deals over the reopening of normal relations with Gaddafi's regime, the Americans insisted that their own victims of Libyan-backed IRA atrocities be financially compensated; the British made no such demands, essentially declaring that bygones are bygones. >>> Dominic Lawson | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Revealed: Blair's Role in Megrahi Release
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: MPs want to know what deal was struck over the Lockerbie bomber at a meeting in a London club in 2003 – long before either the Scottish government or Gordon Brown was involved

Tony Blair will be thrust into the controversy over the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi with questions in Parliament over a secret meeting the then Prime Minister orchestrated that brought Libya in from the cold.

MPs are set to demand the minutes of an extraordinary cloak-and-dagger summit in London between British, American and Libyan spies held three days before Mr Blair announced that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was surrendering his weapons of mass destruction programme.

At the time of the secret meeting in December 2003 at the private Travellers Club in Pall Mall, London – for decades the favourite haunt of spies – Libyan officials were pressing for negotiations on the status of Megrahi, who was nearly three years into his life sentence at a Scottish jail.

Whitehall sources said the issue of Megrahi's imprisonment was raised as part of the discussions, although it is not clear whether Britain or America agreed to a specific deal over his imprisonment, or a more general indication that it would be reviewed.

MPs are to investigate what was promised by Britain at the talks on 16 December, and the role that Mr Blair played in the affair. Until now, the controversy over Megrahi's release last month has centred on discussions between Gordon Brown's government and the Scottish executive and Libya since 2007, with Mr Blair apparently not involved in any way.

It has also focused on claims that the deal was related to oil deals, with Jack Straw admitting yesterday that BP's interests in Libya played a "big part". But authoritative sources said the seeds for Megrahi's release were sown in 2003, when Libya made the historic agreement to end its status as a pariah, and that the focus on oil and trade was a "red herring".

Yesterday the Libyan Foreign Minister, Musa Kusa – who himself was present at the Travellers Club meeting – told The Times that Megrahi's release was "nothing to do with trade".

Two days after the meeting Mr Blair and Col Gaddafi held direct talks by telephone; and the next day, 19 December, the historic announcement about Libyan WMD was made by Mr Blair and President Bush.

At the time, the British government was in desperate need of an intelligence victory after the debacle of going to war in Iraq in the belief that it had weapons of mass destruction.

The Iraq Survey Group had just reported it had found no biological or chemical weapons. Two months after the talks, Mr Blair travelled to the Libyan desert to extend the "hand of friendship" to Col Gaddafi in a Bedouin tent, calculating that the PR coup of Libya dismantling WMD programmes outweighed American outrage.

Yet, in the end, it was revealed that Libya had not developed a nuclear- weapons capability and so did not pose as great a threat to the West as was feared. >>> Jane Merrick | Sunday, September 06, 2009