The Times
September 2, 2009

in Brief:




Gordon Brown was accused of double dealing last night after an official document emerged claiming that Libya was told that he wanted the Lockerbie bomber to die a free man.

The disclosure threatens to undermine the Government’s determinedly neutral stance over the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.

It could also deepen the rift with the Obama administration, which yesterday demanded answers from the Government over its role in the affair.

Papers released by the Scottish government included the minutes of a meeting with Libya earlier this year during which it was stated that Bill Rammell, then a foreign office minister, told Tripioli that neither the Prime Minister nor David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, “would want Mr Megrahi to pass away in prison”.

Britain is already under pressure over its decision to strike a prisoner transfer deal with Libya in defiance of a decade-old pledge to Washington. The Foreign Office insists that the US was never given an absolute commitment, but revelations that Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, believed that such a deal would be in the “overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom” have infuriated US diplomats.

Philip Crowley, chief spokesman for the US State Department, told The Times: “In the late 1990s, as the US and the UK were putting in place the legal framework for the trial of the perpetrators of Pan Am 103, it was our collective view that any suspect found guilty would serve out his entire sentence in Scotland. The US did not change its position but the UK did . . . It’s really up to the UK to explain its current position.”

Yesterday’s release of documents in both London and Edinburgh also show the pressure being applied by business leaders on the Scottish government to release al-Megrahi.

other Key points:

Lord Trefgarne, chairman of the Libyan British Business Council, wrote saying that the possibility of al-Megrahi dying in prison would have “serious implications for UK-Libyan relations”.

The disclosures, however, prompted David Cameron to accuse Mr Brown of “double dealing and demand an independent inquiry. “The British Prime Minister has got to be straight with the British people, said the Conservative leader. “For weeks he’s been refusing to say publicly what he wanted to happen to al-Megrahi, yet we now learn apparently privately the message was being given to the Libyans that he should be released.”

Full article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6817850.ece



Fluff.......

The pantomime is in town, we have a good Idea of what would of played out seeing the ex-boss Mr Blair set up the Libyan / BP £450million oil and gas deal in 2007...

I also wouldn't be surprised with the outrage across from the pond that the Obama US government had a hand in it as well, in order to distract the Americans and ignite some old middle eastern wounds!!