Lockerbie bomber: Trade Deal Was Behind Release, Says Libyan Leader's Son

The Telegraph ^ | 22 Aug 2009 | James Kirkup and Aislinn Simpson

[nickcarraway]

The release of the Lockerbie bomber was linked to trade deals between Britain and Libya, Col Muammar Gaddafi’s son, claimed last night.

Saif al Islam Gaddafi said that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi’s return was a “victory” for all Libyans. He made the claims in a television interview for Libyan television recorded as he accompanied Megrahi on the flight back from Scotland to Libya on Thursday.

The claims were vehemently denied. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There is no deal. All decisions relating to Megrahi’s case have been exclusively for Scottish ministers, the Crown Office in Scotland and the Scottish judicial authorities.

“No deal has been made between the UK Government and Libya in relation to Megrahi and any commercial interests in the country.”

Earlier David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, rejected any suggestion that ministers wanted Megrahi to be freed for commercial reasons, dismissing it as a “slur”. The claims came as Megrahi told a newspaper he would produce evidence proving his innocence before he dies. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown was facing growing anger over his silence on the decision to free Megrahi after eight years in a Scottish jail.

David Cameron said the Prime Minister must explain his views on the issue.

The decision by Scottish ministers to free the biggest mass murderer in British legal history on compassionate grounds has triggered criticism from President Barack Obama and many of the relatives of the 270 people killed in 1988.

Mr Cameron has denounced the release and yesterday challenged the Prime Minister over his “curious” silence. In a letter to Mr Brown, the Conservative leader said: “I believe that the public are entitled to know what you think of the decision to release Megrahi, and whether you consider it was right or wrong.”

[nickcarraway]

The truth comes out...

[Zhang Fei]

It’s gonna be amusing if Gordon Brown gets turfed as PM because of the fallout from this. Don’t feel sorry for him though - his Libyan masters will surely see to it that he is well-rewarded.

[nickcarraway]

He was going to anyway.

[Zhang Fei]

He was going to anyway.

The cause of his downfall is key - it's also how he's going to be remembered. It's one thing to sell your soul to gain the world. But for a handout from Gaddafi?

[Diogenesis]

In Obama’s and the EU’s bizarro world,
PRAVDA and terrorists are more truthful
than leaders of America or terrorist-licking Scotland.

[BnBlFlag]

AAnd to think, the Scots were once possibly the most War-like people in Europe. How low the Mighty have fallen.

[Carley]

We don’t have to worry. We will be replacing all our light bulbs with curly bulbs.

DRILL BABY DRILL

[Ulysse]

Liberals are currently in charge in Scotland!
No surprise

[Judges Gone Wild]

Commerce trumps all.

[FDNYRHEROES]

Trade Deal Was Behind Release, Says Libyan Leader's Son

Oh, I get it..."Scottish Values"...

[silverleaf]

souls for sale ....

[LibLieSlayer]

Britain is only days or months away from becoming a sharia state.

LLS

[fight_truth_decay]

11:00AM BST 22 Aug 2009
Lockerbie bomber: Britain denies trade deal

"However, writes the UK Telegraph, " Libyan television showed pictures on Saturday of Col Gaddafi himself meeting Megrahi and praising "my friend" Gordon Brown and the British Government for their part in securing his freedom."

He said: "To my friends in Scotland, the Scottish National Party, and Scottish prime minister, and the foreign secretary, I praise their courage for having proved their independence in decision making despite the unacceptable and unreasonable measures that they faced.

"Nevertheless they took this courageously right and humanitarian decision.

"And I say to my friend Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, his Government, the Queen of Britain, Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who all contributed to encouraging the Scottish government to take this historic and courageous decision, despite the obstacles."

"A statement from the Foreign Office, however, denied there was any trade deal behind Megrahi's release."

It said: "There is no deal. All decisions relating to the Megrahi case have been exclusively for Scottish ministers, the Crown Office in Scotland, and the Scottish judicial authorities."

"No deal has been made between the UK Government and Libya in relation to Megrahi and any commercial interests in the country."

[One might also wonder...What Clinton (really) agreed to under the premise of " humanitarian grounds" in said negotiations for the release of two Gore's Current TV Caucasian journalists, Ling and Lee, from Kim Jong Il ?)

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Another reason why Free Trade is nothing more than costly treason....

[SunkenCiv]

...linked to trade deals between Britain and Libya, Col Muammar Gaddafi's son, claimed last night.

IOW, oil? What else does Libya produce besides terrorists, dust, and sweat?

[fight_truth_decay]

TimesOnLine: "Tony Blair reached an agreement on prisoner transfer with Colonel Gaddafi two years ago, he started a process that would inevitably end up on the desk of a Scottish minister. It meant that Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi was entitled to apply for permission to serve the rest of his sentence in Libya. What was not expected was that he would contract cancer."

"It was," reported the Times, "surely, ill advised for Mr MacAskill to go and see the Libyan in his prison cell. It left him open to the charge of becoming too close to the case when he should have remained detached. At the same time, when al-Megrahi unexpectedly withdrew his appeal, it exposed the Justice Secretary to the allegation that he had done a deal."

[montag813]

I believe Libya. Britain’s current regime is corrupt to the core.

[scottiemom]

“Some observers saw it as being rushed through parliament for ratification with no proper review.” This suggestion came from British news sources.

Sounds familiar to American ears. Just substitute Congress for parliament. I say the Scottish people were duped. Still, though reprehensible to have freed this murderer out of compassion, the real reason why he was released makes parliament a “whore” for the oil.

[AFPhys]

I have a Scottish friend who was LIVID about this two days before I ever saw it in the US news.

Please don’t blame the Scottish people: it is the current politicians there, who are NOT at all popular.

[AFPhys]

If true... well actually, if there is not some way to plausibly deny this, there is going to be a wholesale and HUGE anger in Scotland, and probably in England.

I have a friend in Scotland who mentioned this to me “out of the blue” two days before I ever heard the story in a US story, including on FR. Many Scots are LIVID about this release.