Lockerbie Bomber - Released for Oil

I read this today in Al-jazeera

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/42/Lockerbie_doubts.html

There needs to be a new trial. This trial would be a trial of the US and UK governments for conspiring to send an innocent man to jail for a crime they knew he did not commit, and for fabricating and concealing evidence at Mr Magrahi's trial.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi papers claim US paid key Lockerbie witness

Claim refers to concerns raised about safety of Libyan's conviction for Lockerbie bombing in 1988

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/02/abdelbaset-megrahi-documents-lockerbie-witness

The new dossier presents what is said to be fresh and undisclosed evidence, suggesting that the clothes found in the suitcase were not purchased on 7 December 1988 as was was argued during the trial.

Gauci told the court that Megrahi bought the clothes before the Christmas lights were illuminated. Evidence from the diary of Michael Refalo, then Malta's tourism minister, stated that he switched on the Christmas lights on December 6. That evidence was not available at the time of the trial.

The Libyan govt paid compensation to the victims' families following the conviction of Mr Magrahi because it was the only way they could get international sanctions lifted. Libya accepted responsibility for paying compensation but did not admit having anything to do with the Lockerbie bombing. This distinction between accepting responsibility and accepting guilt has always been ignored in the US/UK media. Cleary the US and UK govts were anxious that Mr Magrahi take the blame for Lockerbie and then that he should rot in a Scottish jail...end of story.

you do not convince me :) try harder...

and funny thing, despite knowing, people seem to be indulge theirselves into it....

its a viciuos cycle.... and at the end of the day, there is not difference amoung bush, ahmadinejad, obama, sarkogy, gloria, castro....bla bla bla....

All the legal experts for the butcher of innocents magrahi were bought and paid for by money soaked in blood... Their comments and theories are simply a means to earn more money for their legal firms. Why in this age of communication are people still so ignorant of politico-legal processes?

The blame for the release of the butcher from Libya falls squarely on the insatiable demand and waste of natural resources of the west. It was definitely oil driven.

There will be many more hideous deals to be made in the future as the west is willing to sacrifice all morals and ethics in order to continue a lifestyle that is limited in time but can be extended just a little bit longer for the next election...

The Libyan government wanted to come in from the cold and the Americans wanted to show that justice was being done..

An equitable compromise.

If he's innocent, then why did the Libyan govt accept to compensate the families of victims?

Executed? What if he is an innocent man? Keep in mind the evidence against Mr Magrahi was, according to at least one legal expert involved with the trial, "at best very weak circumstantial evidence".

who Megrahi? When the whole case was a charade in the first place so theres nothing wrong in releasing him.

Shouldn't he have been executed?!

Yes, Magrahi will die and another scandal will emerge. That scandal will be the wrongful conviction of an innocent man and the cover-up of the truth about Lockerbie by US and UK govts.

As far as the release of Mr Magrahi is concerned; this was a decision of the Scottish govt based on Scottish law which provides for releasing dying prisoners on compassionate grounds. This had nothing to do with oil contracts. There was an agreement for prisoner exchange between Libyan and UK governments but the decision of the Scottish govt was independent of that agreement.

The guy will pass away soon and the whole thing will be forgotten as another scandal will be brought to the fore..

Poltics is a wonderful world :O(

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

Yes , saw this yesterday.. I don't see anything untoward in this. Countries are often used overtly / covertly by others to mediate and resolve issues. In Iran Contra, the USA supposedly used Turkey as a go between. In Sri Lanka, Norway was used as in Israel.

These things happen regularly..

Qatar raised al-Megrahi release during talks with Alex Salmond.

"The Scottish government faced demands last night for full details of its relationship with Qatar, after the Gulf state was revealed to have lobbied for the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

During trade talks held in June with Qatar’s International Co-operation Minister, Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, was asked to free Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.

The Times has discovered that Mr Salmond first discussed possible trade deals with the Gulf state at least 18 months ago. The First Minister had a previously undisclosed meeting with a senior executive at the Qatar Investment Authority about potential financial support for the Scottish economy in May last year. Mr Salmond and Jim Mather, the Scottish Enterprise Minister, met Dr Hussain Ali al-Abdullah, executive director of the investment authority, which owns almost a third of the J Sainsbury supermarket chain.

The Qatar Investment Authority declined to comment on “speculation” about the meeting. However, the fund has made a number of investments in Britain, including buying a 6.4 per cent stake in Barclays Bank for £2 billion last year, and it holds 15 per cent of the London Stock Exchange company.

Mr Salmond met Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, Qatar’s Minister for International Co-operation, on June 11 while Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Secretary, was considering applications to free al-Megrahi.

Minutes of that meeting released last night show that the Qatar officials said they wanted to co-operate with Scotland on a range of issues, including trade.

Mr Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party, said that he would be happy to travel to Qatar after Lena Wilson, head of Scottish Development International, visited the country during a tour of the Gulf.

In an extraordinary intervention by a third-party country, the Gulf minister then said that the Emir of Qatar had asked him to discuss the issue of al-Megrahi’s continuing imprisonment. Mr Salmond said that they must follow procedure on making representations, and later sent the minister details about contacting Mr MacAskill.

Duncan McNeil, the Labour MSP for Greenock, where al-Megrahi was jailed, said: “There are serious questions about the role of Qatar and the pressure they brought to bear on the Scottish government.” He said that he had asked the Scottish government to delay trade visits to Qatar seeking funds for infrastructure projects.

During First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament yesterday Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Conservative leader, demanded to know whether Mr Salmond had been engaged in “nudge and wink” diplomacy.

Mr Salmond strenuously denied any link between the talks and the release of al-Megrahi. “This suggestion that there is a connection is ridiculous and nonsensical,” he said. “As a government we will always look to encourage trade from anywhere in the world, but we based the al-Megrahi decision on a judicial basis alone.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6820993.ece

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

you truly are the voice of sober sanity on these boards. Kudos endless...

People talking about crap they don't even have a clue about. Just enjoy your damn fruitshake already...

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM, why is Gaddafi hypocrite? He got a Libyan citizen out of jail, which Libyans beleive is innocent.

because he is making alliances with the US and UK for money. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't want trade agreements with them, right? That's what this is all about.

Money talks.

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

can be jailed, why not the CIA people involved with Guantanamo, why not bush? why not tony?

everyone know the answer.

Its not just about money.. It was about mutual benefit. Libya got itsman back and the UK government, which wanted the appeal to be dropped, got it dropped.

A million people been killed for Oil, what's the release of one man

Al Megrahi was found guilty in a court of being involved in the killing of 270 people in the Lockerbie bombing. If he was found guilty in error then there is an appeal process that normally would have been implemented. But because of his illness, he was let go. Now who is guilty of hypocrisy there? Qadaffi for negotiating with the sale of oil for the release of someone who was convicted of mass murder? Or the Scottish Judicial system for presumably being influenced by UK economic concerns? Or both?

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

a super natural dumb head jerk to me.

Kazi nazrul islam and whats he doing on QL.

he is suppose to be in mosque praying.

of value to add and keep changing their nicknames as if everyone doesn't know who they are. :-P

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Who do you mean? Gadaffi or the UK? Or the US?

But seriously, it's politics Salax. All politics involve some hypocrisy. That's called foreign policy :-)

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

the world does know that in QL there are lots of world-class economists and political analyst....

lol

this is about money and Qadaffi like everyone else is naming his price.

Besides, there is really not any hypocrisy. I'm sure he would say if challenged that he forgave his enemies -- so he could sell the oil! lol

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

It's all about the money and it seems EVERYONE has a price. That's why Al-Megrahi was let off: he was the price for getting access to the oil. :-)

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

.

Don't you worry about Gadhafi, he's got kids a plenty, and that daughter was adopted...it doesn't really help, but life goes on ya know...

Libya has so much oil no one really knows how much it is, but I firmly believe if they were to open their valves at full chat they'd be second only to Saudi...yes that much...

And gas...

and agriculture...and tourism potential that would make your head spin, sadly the latter is very far off. It would take gulf style development about 10 years to make something commercially viable...and a lot of legislative changes...he can't legalize alcohol for one...it would be autopilot from there on...

Popcorn girl...Scottish people are in fact British - they have been for quite some time.

that released him NOT the British.

There is some doubt to this day he was GUILTY.

He may have done it he may not have done.

He maybe dying he may not.

There was for sure oil involved (as always).

___________________________________________

The path to true happiness is paved with gin and tonics :-))))))

released on Medical grounds, after all we are human beings.still i wish to add this, that though UK Govt. released him, he knows that he is guilty if he had commited.

He is home at his lovely estate bought for the family by Gaddafi after he was convicted. :-)

And yes, Libya has a LOT of natural resources.

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

posting????

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

This is complete polotical bonkers....The day he was released he was looking horribly ill and could barely walk...however when he reached libya he look perfectly allright to me..

Aana free, jaana free,

Pakde gaye tho khana free.

Will we ever know the full story? Scottish government is no different than any other. Ruled by politicians that make bad decisions, hide facts, look after their own interests and then cover up any discrepencies. Time for Gordon Brown and Alex Salmond to come clean on this one.

Ali al-Megrahi has always claimed his innocence, I would too if I was rotting in jail for an act of terrorism.

Personally I don't think he should have been released as no compasion was shown to the 270 people who lost their lives that terrible day. And I was truly sickened by the waving of the Scottish Saltire in Libya as he got off the plane.

:)

Really, can't believe it.

Is he doing well now or in hospital ?

Does Libya really have so much oil to give ?

AP

Good in what way!?!?!?!?

:)