Lockerbie bomber release stirs diplomatic dispute

Source: Associated Press

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless, Associated Press Writer – 15 mins ago

LONDON – The release of the only man convicted of blowing up a Pan Am flight in 1988 has brought high drama and controversy: the jeering mob outside a Scottish prison, the cheering crowd at a Tripoli airport, the furious families of the 270 people who died in the Lockerbie bombing.

Britain on Friday condemned the "upsetting" scenes of jubilation in Tripoli at the return of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi and considered canceling a royal visit to Libya as a sign of displeasure. President Barack Obama said the warm welcome in Libya was "highly objectionable."

Despite the strong words, the diplomatic end of the decades-long Lockerbie saga is unlikely to damage steadily warming relations between the West and Libya, a country once reviled as a pariah state.

"It will introduce a note of caution in the West's dealing with Libya," said Diederik Vandewalle, a Libya specialist at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. "I don't think it will have much of an impact at all."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090821/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_lockerbie

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For more on this, from a US perspective, see:

American Cassandra: The Susan Lindauer Story

Lockerbie, Scotland and the Bombing of Pan Am 103

The Clinton administration was interested in using her as an entrée to communicate with Libya officials, according to Lindauer. Her specific task was to help obtain the hand over of two suspects in the Lockerbie bombing to stand trial for the destruction of the Pan Am flight and deaths of 259 passengers and 11 Lockerbie citizens

Lindauer described playing an instrumental role in negotiating the handover of the two suspected bombers from Libya through her Libyan contacts at the U.N. mission. She performed the liaison role through the Libyan mission at the U.N. As a result of her work and other efforts, she reports that Libya turned over two male suspects, al-Megrahi and Fhimah, to Scottish authorities. They were indicted and tried for the bombing and 270 deaths. Scottish prosecutors convicted Al Megrahi but not Fhimah.

Shooting his mouth off like the old man ?
The nut doesn't fall very far from the tree
Wonder who will write the the final chapters of the life story of Megrahi



http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTRIALS/Simpson/ifididit.html
If the glove don't fit

You must acquit

Govt under scrutiny over role in Lockerbie release
By Guy Jackson (AFP) – 3 hours ago

LONDON — The government came under pressure on Saturday to explain its role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber but strongly denied Libyan claims it was linked to trade deals.As Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi was shown meeting Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi on television, Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam said his release from prison in Scotland was raised in talks with Britain over oil and gas.

The allegation was flatly denied by the government, but opposition parties said Prime Minister Gordon Brown had "serious questions" to answer over the decision to free Megrahi.

David Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives, called for Brown to break his "curious" silence and make it clear whether he believed Megrahi's release was "right or wrong."

Newspapers were united in criticism of the manner in which Megrahi was freed and accused the British government of trying to pin all the blame on the semi-autonomous Scottish government, which took the decision to free him.

Kadhafi's son said Megrahi had long been part of negotiations for trade deals."In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table," Islam said.




snip


Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam (right) with Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi in Tripoli
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gCn7hxJejsfb62_aoc0-R3P7CDjg?index=0