Anger At The Scottish Government
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.