Playing the “stay quiet” game regarding the Lockerbie bombing affair is gradually building up steam like a steam train about to blow its whistle. Gordon brown was in a no win situation when the Scottish Government decided to let the convicted bomber go on compassionate grounds. To criticise the move would strain relations with a huge deal with Libya, but to endorse the decision would create huge issues with the UK’s biggest friend the USA. The decision was to stay quiet and hope other issues and news took over and state is was a Scottish decision not a UK one.
But as the steam gathers pressure there needs to be a release soon, as today it emerged that Jack Straw sent a letter to Scotland stating that it would be in the UK’s interest for the bomber not to be excluded from the prisoner transfer agreement. This did not endorse a release but did endorse that the bomber could be included in the prisoner transfer agreement and therefore being moved home. Jack Straw has commented that because the exchange was refused the letter then the letter was irrelevant and that any deal with Libya was “just not true”.
This will of course add fuel to the whole concern, especially as there had been a promise to the USA that the bomber would serve his who sentence on Scottish soil. The Brown government is unpopular at home with current polls suggesting a conservative win, but now this is likely to expand worldwide, with trust being lost from the USA, Scotland and the East. Gordon brown can’t win on this one, so it is probably time to decide which side he is on and cut his losses, at least some credibility may be saved not just for the Prime minister but for the UK too.
Who would have thought that after nearly 13 years getting a Lokerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi behind bars, 8 years later he would be released on compassionate grounds. “Deeply upsetting, deeply distressing” was the words from the UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband as the bomber gets a hero’s welcome in Tripoli. There is outrage in the USA as the Scottish Attorney General released the agent who was parts of the plot to bomb flight Pan Am 103, back in 1988. The reason was that this agent only has less than 3 months to live and it is Scottish law that prisoners can apply to be released to spend his final days at home.
However the reception in Tripoli put salt into the wounds and as Scottish flags were being waved (where do you buy Scottish flags in Tripoli?) as it was pretty obvious that the reception was staged by the Gadaphi the leader.
Both President Obama and Hillary Clinton have thrown strong words to the Scottish government, stating this decision was wrong. The USA victims have also stated strong words, such as being physically sick with the news. There was a slightly warmer response from some British families, stating that this agent was not part of the plot and someone who agreed to do a sentence on behalf of other Libyan terrorists or even a group based in Syria and it was he who initiated the plot to bomb 103. In 2003 Libya admitted responsibility of the crime, even so this sole individual took the full blame. There was a lot of evidence contributing to his involvement, but little that he made or placed the bomb.
Whatever the opinion there has been worldwide condemnation with a hint in other circles that this my help grease the wheels of better relations with Libya, who has already disbanded its nuclear programme and weapons of mass destruction, with both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both meeting the Libyan leader.
It seems a friend of Obama Henry Lewis Gate lost his keys and attempted to break into his own home with a second individual. Unfortunately some neighbours saw him and phoned the police of whom a white police Sergeant James Crowley turned up to the call. A little while later the sergeant arrested Henry Lewis. President Obama felt he needed to comment on this incident, claiming the police had not acted in a way they should, especially as this suspect was black.
However as the real facts emerge, it turns out that this police sergeant is very much respected and works for his black superior. Witnesses say it was not the police but in fact Henry Lewis that overacted to the situation, would not identify himself and refused to come out of his home. Working with the information in front of him, Crowley arrested this unknown intruder only to find out late he was the resident of that home.
With the new facts in front of him, Obama was forced to add extra comments about the situation and state his intention was not to state that the police “acted stupidly”. Neighbours claimed the police acted correctly and no racial tones were ever there. They were acting in a way they should to a call that 2 people had broken into a neighbour’s home.
Comments were not favourable to Mt Lewis suggesting he used the racial issue because he had a chip on his shoulder. This first slip will be a lesson for President Obama also, to ensure he gets the full picture before commenting, after all this became international news.