Downing Street approved Lockerbie bomber deal

Times Online ^ | August 30, 2009 | Suzy Jagger and Tom Baldwin

[myknowledge]

Gordon Brown was dragged into the centre of the row over the early release of the Lockerbie bomber last night after it emerged that a key decision that could have paved the way for the terrorist to serve his sentence in Libya was approved by Downing Street.

A source close to Jack Straw told The Times that the move to include Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement in 2007 was a government decision and was not made at the sole discretion of the Justice Secretary. “It wasn’t just Jack who decided this. It was a Government decision. Jack did not act unilaterally.”

The row over the early release of the Lockerbie bomber ten days ago shows no sign of abating after the Ministry of Justice indicated yesterday that the decision to include al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement had been made with the possibility of trade deals with Libya in mind.

“The negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement were part of a wider agreement for the normalisation of relations with Libya as part of bringing them into the international community,” he said.

[GeronL]

They could at least try, not that the US media would be interested.

[mewzilla]

Ah, but in the age of the internet, who needs the MSM? :)

On that thought, a related note...

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

[GeronL]

don’t forget the admins arguement in CitizensUnited vs FEC that Obama admin has power to ban books, films and stuff that are partially paid for with “corporate” money. Like NRA etc.

Unless they are liberal, then its fine.

[McGruff]