Lockerbie Bomber: Lord Mandelson Faces New Questions Over Libya Links
THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Mandelson faced fresh questions over his links to Libya last night following the decision to free the Lockerbie bomber.

The Business Secretary denied that the Government had done a deal to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 terrorist atrocity that claimed 270 lives. However, his claims were contradicted by Saif Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader, in a conversation with Megrahi as the pair flew home from Glasgow.

In a transcript obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Gaddafi tells Megrahi: “You were on the table in all commercial, oil and gas agreements that we supervised in that period. You were on the table in all British interests when it came to Libya, and I personally supervised this matter. Also, during the visits of the previous prime minister, Tony Blair.”

This latest contradiction of the Government’s line will further increase tensions between Britain and the United States, which continued yesterday to express anger over the decision to free Megrahi. Robert Mueller, the FBI director, made public a hard-hitting letter he sent to Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice secretary who ordered the release. Mr Mueller called the decision inexplicable and detrimental to justice, adding: “Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world.”

Downing Street confirmed last night that Gordon Brown had discussed the possible release of Megrahi with Colonel Gaddafi when the two men met on the fringes of the G8 summit in Italy last month. A letter the Prime Minister sent to the Libyans, dated last Thursday, the day of the release, said: “When we met I stressed that, should the Scottish Executive decide that Megrahi can return to Libya, this should be a purely private, family occasion.”

Libya’s talk of trade deals has shone the spotlight on Lord Mandelson, who is facing mounting questions over his links with Mr Gaddafi, 37, the man widely tipped as his country’s next leader. >>> Andrew Alderson, Patrick Hennessy and Colin Freeman | Saturday, August 22, 2009

Cancer Specialists Fly to Tripoli as Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi Fades Fast
TIMES ONLINE: The health of the Lockerbie bomber is deteriorating so fast that European cancer specialists are being flown to Tripoli in a chartered aircraft to treat him, Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi's brother has told The Times.

"He's in a bad situation. The last check-up was very, very bad... He's dying," said Mohammed al-Megrahi, who doubted his brother would live another month. "We are really worried about him, but it's the wish of God."

Mr al-Megrahi would not, or could not, say where the specialists were coming from or who was paying for them.

A Libyan government official said that al-Megrahi "has been admitted to the emergency room in the hospital. He is in a bad way. He is unable to speak to anyone."

A hospital spokesman said: "Because of the treatment he is receiving, his immune system is very weak."

Critics of the Scottish Government's decision to release al-Megrahi last month have questioned how ill he really is, but there seems little doubt that he is in his final weeks, or even days. >>> Martin Fletcher in Tripoli | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Arrives in Libya


Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi Flies Home to Hero’s Welcome
TIMES ONLINE: The Lockerbie bomber flew out of Britain yesterday as a dying man deserving of compassion — and landed in Libya a national hero.

A crowd of thousands, many waving Scottish flags, gathered at Tripoli airport to welcome Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi as he stepped down from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s private jet to the strains of patriotic music.

He had changed from a white tracksuit and baseball cap into a dark suit and tie during the flight and was leaning on a gold-rimmed walking stick as he emerged from the aircraft to be hugged by Colonel Gaddafi’s son.

He was then taken in a motorcade to the city centre, where the main square was lit up in green and blue in preparation for a celebration that included a feast and laser show. The pan-Arab television channel Al-Jazeera reported that al-Megrahi’s car was held up along the way by the throng.

In the city centre groups of young men, many in white baseball caps like the one al-Megrahi was wearing when he left Glasgow, dashed excitedly from one side of the square to the other trying to catch a glimpse of the bomber. >>> Tim Reid, Philip Webster and Charlene Sweeny | Friday, August 21, 2009

Hero's Welcome for Lockerbie Bomber Who Slaughtered 270 as Shabby Political Deal Provokes U.S. Outrage
MAIL ONLINE: This was the moment the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing flew home to a hero's welcome.

As thousands cheered, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was escorted down the steps of his plane by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Earlier this month, Saif Gaddafi met Lord Mandelson in Corfu, raising suspicions that a deal was being made to free 57-year-old Megrahi. >>> David Williams and Ian Drury | Friday 21, 2009

BP Admits 'Lobbying UK Over Libya Prisoner Transfer Scheme But Not Lockerbie Bomber'
THE TELEGRAPH: BP is facing fresh scrutiny into whether it was involved in the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, after the oil giant admitted lobbying the British government over a prisoner agreement with Libya.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet Al Megrahi, left, after his release, with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam. Photo: The Telegraph
BP said it pressed for a deal over the controversial prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) amid fears any delays to negotiations would damage its “commercial interests” and disrupt its £900 million offshore drilling operations in the region.

But it denied claims that it had been involved in negotiations concerning the release of Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber freed by Scottish authorities last year.

The admission came just hours after Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, pledged to investigate allegations of BP's involvement in his release ahead of its planned new drilling in Libya.

It followed a letter from four US senators who had accused the company of having a hand in the release of Megrahi, who was released last year by the Scottish government on "health grounds" and compassionate grounds.

Mrs Clinton’s intervention came after the American Democratic senators called for an investigation into BP’s interests in Libya, as they tried to connect the oil group with a deal to free the convicted terrorist.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company admitted it had lobbied the British Government over the controversial prisoner deal but denied any involvement in Megrahi’s release.

“It is matter of public record that in late 2007 BP told the UK Government that we were concerned about the slow progress that was being made in concluding a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya,” the company said in a statement.

“We were aware that this could have a negative impact on UK commercial interests, including the ratification by the Libyan Government of BP's exploration agreement.”

But a spokesman added: “The decision to release Mr al-Megrahi in August 2009 was taken by the Scottish Government. >>> Andrew Hough | Thursday, July 15, 2010

Related video here

Pan African Parliament Declares Solidarity with Al-Megrahi
"What happened to Megrahi reminds us of the long suffering inflicted on Africa by the its enemies the colonialists and their heinous crimes and discrimination. The Europeans think that they are the strongest and make us fear them but we will face head on their injustice and defend our rights, marching along with Leader Muammar Gaddafi the President of the African Union." – Mr. Mustafa Abudaina from Algeria, Pan African Parliament (PAP) member

THE TRIPOLI POST: Tripoli– The Pan African Parliament declared on Wednesday its solidarity with Abdulbaset Al-Megrahi and wished him quick recovery after his release from captivity in Scottish and Netherlands prisons for more than eleven years.

The 150 strong Pan African parliamentarian delegation expressed its support with Al-Megrahi when they made a visit to him at Tripoli Medical Center.

Speaking to Megrahi and the large audience in his presence, The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Hon. Dr. Moussa Idriss Ndele, MP said "we wished that this meeting had took place at the Parliament's headquarters [in in Midrand, South Africa] and gave you a red carpet welcome."

Mr. Ndele added that that would have been in response to the big welcome given to the Bulgarian nurses by the European Parliament despite their crime and with disregard to the feelings of over 400 Libyan children who were infected with AIDS and their relatives.

Al-Megrahi waived his hand to the African parliamentarian delegation as he responded to their words of support and get well wishes. >>> | Sunday, September 13, 2009

Barack Obama Leads Condemnation of Scotland for Freeing Lockerbie Bomber
The decision to release this perpetrator of evil is a despicable act, and a travesty of justice. The Scots should hang their heads in SHAME! Could anyone blame the Americans for calling for a boycott of all Scottish goods as a retaliatory measure?

This had LITTLE to do with "compassion" and ALL to do with dirty politics, political gain, and commercial deals: multi-million dollar contracts will surely be signed with Libya as a result of this 'foul act of mercy'. – ©Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama led condemnation of Scotland's administration for allowing the Lockerbie bomber to return home to Libya.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi accompanied by Seif al-Islam el- Gadhafi, son of the Libyan leader upon his arrival at airport in Tripol . Photo: The Telegraph
The US President’s criticism of the “mistake” added to a growing backlash against the Scottish decision to free the biggest mass murderer in British legal history on compassionate grounds.

Hours after the Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh announced its decision to free him, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the only man convicted of the 1988 atrocity, flew home to a hero’s welcome in Tripoli.

Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence agent, has terminal prostate cancer and has less than three months to live. Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, said freeing him showed Scotland’s “humanity.”

Despite his illness, Megrahi, 57, managed to walk unaided up the steps of the plane at Glasgow airport, his face hidden by a white baseball cap.

After he left Scottish soil, Megrahi, who has served just eight years of a 27-year sentence, released a statement protesting his innocence and expressing his “sympathy” for the families of the 270 people he was convicted of killing.

The US government condemned the decision to release him, as did US relatives of some of the victims of the 1988 atrocity.

One US Senator said that by releasing Megrahi, Scottish ministers had increased the threat of international terrorism, and internet campaigners threatened a US boycott of Scottish products. >>> James Kirkup, Auslan Cramb and Alex Spillius in Washington | Thursday, August 20, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber: Libya Broke Promise over Hero's Welcome, Says Scottish Justice Minister
THE TELEGRAPH: Kenny MacAskill, Scotland's justice secretary, accused Libya of breaking a promise not to give a hero's welcome to the freed Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi.

He told an emergency session of the Scottish Parliament: "It is a matter of great regret that Mr Megrahi was received in such an inappropriate manner.

"It showed no compassion or sensitivity to the families of the 270 victims of Lockerbie."

He went on: "Assurances had been given by the Libyan Government that any return would be dealt with in a low-key and sensitive fashion."

Mr MacAskill was speaking at a special session of the Scottish Parliament, recalled from its summer recess to allow MSPs to question him on his decision to free terminally-ill Megrahi.

The Justice Secretary defended his actions in freeing Megrahi on compassionate early release grounds, while turning down a request for him to be transferred to jail in Libya.

Earlier, Gordon Brown faced fresh criticism for commenting on England’s Ashes cricket victory, but remaining silent about what he thinks about the release of Abdulbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the Prime Minister’s continued refusal to comment on last week’s controversial release of Britain’s biggest mass murderer "absurd and damaging".

Downing Street maintained that the matter of Megrahi’s freedom was one for the Scottish administration, despite condemnation of the release by Barack Obama and the director of the FBI.

A spokesman for Downing Street, in response to repeated questions about the Prime Minister’s silence, repeatedly stated: “It was and it remains a decision for the Scottish Justice Secretary.”

However, Mr Brown has been more forthcoming about England’s Ashes victory – inviting criticism that he is happy to comment on frivolous matters, but not the release of a man who killed 270. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Monday, August 24, 2009

Photograph: Google Images
Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi 'In a Coma'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing is in a coma and may have only days to live, according to reports from those close to him.

The health of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has "deteriorated badly" according to the Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.

Megrahi was given three months to live when he was released from Greenock Prison in Scotland in August last year on compassionate grounds, and flown home to Libya.

The fact that he is still alive 15 months later has added weight to American anger that he was released. Files revealed this week by Wikileaks have also described the pressure Libya brought to bear on the United Kingdom not to allow him to die in prison.

Col. Gaddafi was speaking in the Libyan capital Tripoli, to back Megrahi's family who have said they will sue the Scottish authorities for neglecting Megrahi's health in prison. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, December 09, 2010

If Gordon Brown Really Wants to Fight Terrorism, He Should Have Blocked the Release of the Lockerbie Bomber
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS: Gordon Brown can’t have it both ways. On the one hand he claims that his determination to fight terrorism remains “absolute”. On the other he says he had “no role” in the decision to release Abdelbaset Ali Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of carrying out the Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people.

Well, if Mr Brown really is determined to fight terror, then he should very much have made it his business to have a role in the decision to repatriate Megrahi to Libya. He should have called up the Scottish government and ordered it keep Megrahi firmly locked up in his Scottish prison cell, no matter how ill the terrorist claimed to be.

It was so clearly in Britain’s national interest not to release Megrahi that the prime minister of the United Kingdom - and that includes Scotland - should have used all the powers at his disposal to play a central role in deciding Megrahi’s fate. >>> Con Coughlin | Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber's Prognosis under 'Significant Doubt'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Lockerbie bomber could live far longer than predicted by Scottish ministers when they decided to release him, a cancer expert has warned.

Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidelines suggest that inmates are only freed if they have less than three months to live. Photo: The Telegraph
Dr Richard Simpson said that medical reports show there is “significant doubt” that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi will die within the next three months.

The Labour MSP accused Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, of failing to conduct sufficient checks before deciding to release the terminally-ill bomber last week.

This attack was echoed by the Tories, who said that the most recent medical consensus was Megrahi would live eight months, too long to be eligible for compassionate release.

The row broke out as Gordon Brown finally ended his silence on the controversy, but refused to say whether he agreed with Mr MacAskill's decision.

The Prime Minister stressed he had “no role” in the release and he was “angry and repulsed” at the hero's welcome that greeted Megrahi on his return to Libya.

A storm of international condemnation has met Mr MacAskill's ruling last week to release Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, on compassionate grounds.

Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidelines suggest that inmates are only freed if they have less than three months to live.

However, Dr Simpson, who specialised in prostate disease research, said: “It is clear to me from the medical reports and the opinion of the specialists that Megrahi could live for many more months. >>> Simon Johnson and Andrew Porter | Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Immoral And Incompetent
THE SPECTATOR: The Spectator on the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi

So who to believe? Saif al-Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, has said that the release of Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi was ‘on the table’ during trade talks with Britain. Lord Mandelson, who was holidaying with the young prince of Tripoli in Corfu a few weeks ago, says such a suggestion is not just wrong but ‘quite offensive’. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, insists it is a ‘slur’ even to suggest that the release of the only man convicted for the Lockerbie bombing would be raised.

As this squalid story has unfolded in the last few weeks, it is becoming all too clear that Megrahi was indeed ‘on the table’. The Libyans were told that Gordon Brown personally wished that Megrahi should not die in a Scottish prison. It is all too typical of the Prime Minister that he has not had the courage to share this view with the British public — we found out via an ambassador, a minister and a declassified document. And this is why the scandal is lasting so long: it offers wider insights into the nature of the government.

Officially, British policy is to encourage Libya to become a responsible actor on the world stage — this has been the case since Gaddafi’s decision six years ago to relinquish weapons of mass destruction that no one had known that he possessed. But the Megrahi affair demonstrates deep flaws in this strategy. If Libya was going to become a genuine partner in fighting terror it should not have been so keen for the return of a terrorist convicted on 270 counts of murder. Nor should the British government bend principles of foreign policy to suit the oil companies hungry for a slice of Libya’s offshore resources. >>> | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Affaire Kadhafi: Le triomphe diplomatique libyen
20 MINUTES.ch: En obtenant jeudi la libération du Libyen condamné pour l'attentat de Lockerbie et des excuses suisses pour l'affaire de son fils Hannibal, Mouammar Kadhafi remporte un succès diplomatique retentissant, à une semaine du 40e anniversaire de son arrivée au pouvoir.

La remise en liberté jeudi d'Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, après un long feuilleton judiciaire et diplomatique, a coïncidé avec une visite surprise à Tripoli du président helvétique Hans-Rudolf Merz, venu s'excuser pour l'arrestation en juillet 2008 de Hannibal Kadhafi, une affaire qui empoisonne depuis les relations entre les deux pays.

Accueilli en héros à l'aéroport militaire de Maatiga à Tripoli, malgré les critiques de Washington et Londres, M. Megrahi était considéré officiellement par la Libye comme un «otage politique» entre les mains de l'Occident.

«Nous considérons que Megrahi est un combattant qui s'est sacrifié pour sa patrie et nous devons le respecter», a déclaré à l'AFP l'ancien ambassadeur de Libye à Londres et acteur clé dans le dossier Megrahi.

«Nous sommes contents de son retour (...) et nous considérons que sa libération est un acquis pour la Libye», a-t-il dit.

L'accueil chaleureux réservé à Abdelbaset Megrahi est une «revanche sur l'Occident, qui avait déroulé le tapis rouge pour les infirmières» et le médecin bulgares, au moment de leur libération en juillet 2007 après huit ans de détention en Libye«, estime un journaliste libyen. >>> afp | Vendredi 21 Août 2009

New Row over 'Non-expert' Cancer Diagnosis of Lockerbie Bomber al-Megrahi
TIMES ONLINE: The furore over the release of the Lockerbie bomber intensified today over the medical advice given to the Scottish government on how long he has to live.

It emerged that the prognosis that Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi had a life expectancy of only three months or less was supported by an unnamed doctor who had no expertise in terminal prostate cancer.

The final report on al-Megrahi’s condition which went to Kenny MacAskill was drawn up by Dr Andrew Fraser, director of health and care with the Scottish Prison Service.

The three-month time limit is important because Scottish Prison Service guidance says that compassionate release from prison “may be considered where a prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness and death is likely to occur soon. There are no fixed time limits but life expectancy of less than three months may be considered an appropriate period.”

Dr Fraser’s report says: “Whether or not prognosis is more or less than three months, no specialist ‘would be willing to say’.”

Dr Fraser’s report, however, also contains a reference to the “opinion” of an unnamed doctor - thought to be a GP - who, says the report, “dealt with him (al-Megrahi) prior to, during and following the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer”.

It adds: “Having seen him during each of these stages, his clinical condition has declined significantly over the last week (July 26-August 3).

“The clinical assessment, therefore,is that a three month prognosis is now a reasonable estimate for this patient.”

Political opponents at Holyrood were today claiming that the conclusion reached by Dr Fraser was based on what the unnamed GP had said and had not taken into sufficient account the more guarded views of the prostate cancer specialists.

Dr Richard Simpson, a Labour MSP and a former associate member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and member of its prostate cancer working group, has raised doubts about the three-month prognosis.

He said: "The Scottish government has misrepresented the medical evidence. The Justice Secretary chose to disregard the advice of specialists and release al-Megrahi on the opinion of one doctor, who we now know was not a specialist.

"At the very least, Kenny MacAskill should have sought a second opinion confirming the patient's prognosis from a specialist in palliative care. That he did not do so showed a disregard for due process and the significance of the decision." >>> Angus Macleod, Scottish Political Editor | Thursday, August 27, 2009

Times Poll: 61% Think al-Megrahi Release Was about Oil, Not Compassion
Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi leaving Scotland for Libya. He is suffering from advanced prostate cancer. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Gordon Brown’s Government faces widespread public suspicion that the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, had more to do with oil than his terminal cancer.

A special Populus poll for The Times, conducted on Wednesday, reveals widespread public criticism of the release and scepticism about the reasons, with much of the blame falling on the Prime Minister.

The poll followed the public defence of the release by Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, on Monday and Mr Brown’s comments the following day.

Questions were solely about this issue and did not include voting intentions.

Three fifths of those questioned (61 per cent) disagreed with the decision to return al-Megrahi to Libya on the ground of compassion, with 27 per cent agreeing.

The continuing controversy over the background to the decision, with reports of meetings between British ministers and members of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s family and the Libyan Government, have made people suspicious. Nearly half (45 per cent) thought it had more to do with oil than al-Megrahi’s terminal illness — 24 per cent disagreed.

Mr Brown’s attempt to distance himself from the move, saying that it was a decision for the Scottish government, has not gone down well, with 56 per cent saying that has handled the matter badly, and 23 per cent thinking that he had done well.

In the ranking of disapproval, Mr Brown was second only to Colonel Gaddafi. Some 63 per cent thought that the Libyans had handled the affair badly, while 15 per cent approved of their actions. >>> Peter Riddell | Friday, August 28, 2009

Analysis: Vast Reserves of Oil and Gas Are Colonel Gaddafi's Real Weapons
TIMES ONLINE: Libya may have renounced its weapons of mass destruction, but two weapons just as powerful remain in its arsenal: its vast and barely tapped reserves of oil and gas.

Tony Blair helped to secure a £900 million gas exploitation deal for BP when he visited Libya two years ago, but the deal remains hampered by bureaucratic obstacles.

At the same meeting Mr Blair and Colonel Gaddafi discussed Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi’s release, setting the path towards a possible prisoner transfer agreement. Will his walk to freedom on compassionate grounds now lead to BP’s hurdles magically dissolving?

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader’s debonair son and probable heir, implied so as he accompanied al-Megrahi back to Tripoli. “In all commercial contracts for oil and gas with Britain, al-Megrahi was always on the negotiating table,” he said. It is undiplomatic of Saif to say it, but that does not stop it from being true. Libya, once a reviled pariah state, has played a long, careful game to bring itself in from the cold — including the handover of al-Megrahi in the first place, part of its effort to re-establish trade relations with the West. Saif has publicly stated that al-Megrahi was Libya’s national fall guy, handed over in the hope of re-establishing trade relations with the West. >>> Catherine Philp | Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Editorial: Lockerbie Terrorist's Release Is an Ugly Act of 'Mercy'
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The muted U.S. reaction to the bomber's repatriation to Libya adds to the insult to justice.

The release by Scotland of Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi, who was expected to spend his life in prison for the 1988 bombing of a Pan American jetliner, was merciful, certainly, but an outrage nonetheless. The "compassionate release” of the terminally ill Libyan terrorist showed no compassion for relatives of the 270 people killed when the jet exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. Compounding their trauma was the muted protest of the Obama administration.

Instead of viewing the special relationship between the United States and Britain as a cause for candor, the president, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. resorted to diplomatic circumlocution. The president called Megrahi's release "a mistake" and was reduced to asking Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi not to treat Megrahi as a hero and to place him under house arrest. Clinton issued a statement calling the release "deeply disappointing." Holder shifted into passive voice to say that the interests of justice "have not been served by this decision."

This country has a special interest in punishment for Megrahi because 189 of the victims were Americans, including 35 Syracuse University students returning home for the Christmas season. But whatever their nationality, they were innocent victims of an attack that virtually defined the term "terrorism." For many of their families, a life sentence was the minimum punishment to be meted out to Megrahi. His release and repatriation after serving only eight years thus upends their expectations and undermines the argument that life in prison is an acceptable alternative to execution. >>> Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times | Friday, August 21, 2009

Prince Andrew Trip to Libya Could Be Cancelled Over Lockerbie Bomber
THE TELEGRAPH: The Duke of York may see plans for an official visit to Libya cancelled as an expression of British Government anger at Libyan celebrations of the return of the Lockerbie bomber.

There is growing anger in Britain at the reception granted to Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi on his return to Libya after eight years in a Scottish jail.

Downing Street has also said that Gordon Brown had appealed to the Libyans not to give Megrahi a hero's welcome on his return.

In a letter to Col Gaddafi sent on Thursday, the Prime Minister asked the Libyans to "act with sensitivity" over the return of Megrahi.

Megrahi, the biggest mass murderer in British legal history, flew home to Tripoli on Thursday after being freed from jail on compassionate grounds by Scotland's devolved adminstration.

A large crowd gathered to greet his return, and he has been feted as a national hero.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said that the reception Libya gave Megrahi was "deeply distressing".

The Foreign Office is now understood to be reviewing a plan for Prince Andrew to represent Britian [sic] at celebrations marking 40 years of Col Gaddafi's rule. >>> James Kirkup and Aislinn Simpson | Friday, August 21, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH:
Lockerbie bomber release: Reaction from American media >>> | Friday, August 21, 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

Inquiry Urged Into Lockerbie Bomber Release
THE INDEPENDENT: A UK public inquiry should be held into the release of the Lockerbie bomber, a backbench Tory MP said today.

Daniel Kawczynski, who chairs the Westminster all-party group on Libya, also called on Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to apologise for the "huge error" in releasing Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi almost a year ago.

David Cameron is expected to face criticism from American politicians over claims that BP lobbied for the release of Megrahi to secure an oil deal, as the Prime Minister flies into the US today for his first official visit since taking office.

Mr MacAskill has already said he would be prepared to assist any inquiry held into circumstances surrounding Megrahi's release.

But Mr Kawcynski, the MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, told BBC Radio Scotland today: "Clearly Mr MacAskill has made a huge error which has impacted on British foreign policy. Continue reading and comment >>> Scott Macnab, Press Association | Monday, July 19, 2010

LE POINT: Attentat de Lockerbie - La libération de Megrahi a été une "erreur complète", pour Cameron : La libération, en 2009, du Libyen Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, condamné pour l'attentat de Lockerbie, a été "une erreur complète et totale", a affirmé lundi le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron, avant de s'envoler pour sa première visite officielle aux États-Unis. >>> AFP | Lundi 19 Juillet 2010

Related articles here and here

Lockerbie Bombing: US Calls for Megrahi to Be Returned to Jail
THE TELEGRAPH: The United States has made an impassioned plea for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, to be returned to jail.

The Obama administration used the anniversary of the bomber's release on compassionate grounds – because he had advanced prostate cancer – to condemn the decision.

The US president's office said it had advised Libyan officials of its view that Megrahi should not be free.

John Brennan, Barack Obama's counter-terrorism adviser, criticised the "unfortunate and inappropriate and wrong decision."

He said: "We've expressed our strong conviction that Al Megrahi should serve out the remainder – the entirety – of his sentence in a Scottish prison."

Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, said that a "cloud of suspicion" hung over the decision to release Megrahi, who is now living with his family in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. >>> Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter | Saturday, August 21, 2010