Lockerbie bomber on show at Gaddafi’s 40th anniversary celebrations

The Times ^ | 9/1/2009 | Martin Fletcher in Tripoli

[bruinbirdman]

Libya is set to flaunt the Lockerbie bomber’s release at the climax of today’s celebrations marking Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's 40 years in power.

The Times gained access last night to the dress rehearsal of a spectacular two-hour show which extols Colonel Gaddafi for reviving his country and restoring Arab pride. As the finale approaches, the screen at the back of the giant stage in Tripoli’s Green Square shows Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi stepping off the plane which brought him home from his Scottish prison two weeks ago. His arms are raised aloft by Colonel Gaddafi’s son, Saif, as he acknowledges the joyful reception from the crowd below.

Last night's dress rehearsal featured footage glorifying
al-Megrahi's return

Unless it is cut out at the last minute, the clip’s inclusion seems almost calculated to provoke the West. Britain and America had urged Libya to keep al-Megrahi’s homecoming low key, and President Obama and Gordon Brown both expressed disgust when he was given what appeared to be a rapturous welcome at Tripoli airport. It also flies in the face of repeated assurances by Libyan officials, including Saif Gaddafi, that the reception was muted and not intended as a display of gloating. Al-Megrahi himself is now in hospital, seriously ill with prostate cancer.

Anxious to dampen down the controversy caused by al-Megrahi’s release, Britain is expected to send only a junior representative to today’s ceremonies. The British Embassy in Tripoli said that Sir Vincent Fean, the ambassador, was in Malta, suggesting the job will be left to a more junior diplomat. “We are still considering the level of representation,” a spokesman said.

Other European states are sending ministers, ambassadors or official delegations, but the President of Malta is thought to be only European head of state attending. However

[clintonh8r]

It would be a real shame if something happened to Muammar while he was here. A real shame, I tell ya.....

[JLS]

The Dims here are self-destructing, but the can not hold a candle to Labour in the UK. I have never seen a political party decline this fast. Are they going to finish 3rd or 4th in the next general election?

[kenth]

Anxious to dampen down the controversy caused by al-Megrahi’s release, Britain is expected to send only a junior representative to today’s ceremonies.

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Hahaha... so they’re only going to celebrate with Gaddafi a little bit. They better hope the guy is really dying as fast as they said, and doesn’t have enough time to kill more people. As I’ve said before, muslims are amateurs compared to leftists in being a danger to free people. Terrorists cannot destroy the USA. We see on a daily basis the damage leftists do to us, from the inside.

[Berlin_Freeper]

They could create a double of him (like many leaders of that part of the world are known to do) just to keep putting on the shows and keep support of the peasants.

[stentorian conservative]

Would somebody care to tell me just who in the hell cares? All I seem to hear are crickets out there in Obamedia Land.