Megrahi Decison #2

The Libyan government made a surprise announcement that it would give up WMD programme. This was such a surprise it surprised most commentators, who did not believe Libya had a credible WMD programme.

This was towards the end of 2003. Bush and Blair were delighted with this Christmas present.

In March 2007, three years later, Libya signed an oil deal with BP, brokered by Blair.

In May 2007, three years since the WMD announcment and two months since the BP deal, Blair signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) with Libya. The understanding at the time between the Westminster and Scottish governments was that this would not include anyone convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.

In December 2007, three years since the WMD announcement and nine months since the signing of the BP oil deal, the Justice Secretary Jack Straw changed his position on the PTA, stating that "the wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests for the United Kingdom I have agreed that in this instance the PTA should be in the standard form and not mention any individual."

In December 2007, three years since the WMD announcement, nine months since the oil deal, and the same month as Jack Straw changed his position on the PTA, the BP oil deal was ratified by the Libyan General Peoples' Committee.

There is a paper trail providing ample evidence that the return of the Lockerbie bomber was linked to the agreement and the ratification of the BP deal. I wonder how much Blair has made personally out of this.....there are really no words to describe the character of such a man...or of those who have followed his lead regardless of the loss of 270 lives: Straw, Mandelson, Rammell, Brown.

Incidentally, I don't believe that Megrahi committed the crime, and this is the view widely held in Libya. I believe he was going to be transferred and his terminal illness was most convenient for the Westminster government - who could pass the buck to the Scottish government and avoid any repercussions - and for the Scottish government, who sidestepped an appeal which probably would have succeeded. The unspoken reason that underpins Megrahi's release is the doubt surrounding his conviction. They nearly got away with it. Should have kept the Americans onside to avoid a backlash, that was the major blunder.

(first posted on Jess The Dog's Blog)

Megrahi Decison #2

Megrahi Decision

Subrosa makes a point on her blog re the article in the Times today were a former diplomat to Libya, Oliver Miles seems to think "something fishy" going on around the al-Megrahi release.

I agree with points made but also I feel another point or 2 is also linked into the mix here.

These are reported also in todays Times and consist of

1. WPV Yvonne Fletcher
2. Attempted assassination on Gaddaffi in 1996 supposedly by MI6.

WPC Fletcher was shot in 1984, during a demonstration outside the Libyan Embassy, the bullet almost certainly havng been fired from the first floor of the building. Her killer was thought to have been smuggled out of the country after the shooting. As Libya shed its pariah status, Metropolitan Police officers investigating the case visited Tripoli in 2004, 2006 and 2007, but without obvious success.

The assassination attempt occurred in 1996 when Colonel Gaddafi’s motorcade was attacked in the town of Sirte. He survived but six bystanders were killed.

The now ex-M15 officer and disgraced and proven a liar Mr David Shayler, later claimed that MI6 had paid the so-called Islamic Fighting Group £100,000 to carry out the attack.

Last night Whitehall sources denied the two investigations were linked and insisted that the traffic was all one way, with the Metropolitan Police seeking Libya’s assistance in bringing WPC Fletcher’s killer to justice.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it had assured Colonel Gaddafi that there was no British plot to assassinate him, and that Mr Shayler’s allegations had been thoroughly investigated and discounted.

“There’s this case and another case when somebody tried to assassinate the leader. These two cases are linked together,” Mohammed Siala, a member of Libya’s Cabinet, replied when asked yesterday if Libya would show WPC Fletcher’s family the compassion that was shown to the Lockerbie bomber by surrendering her killer.

Mr Siala’s comments will stir even more feelings around not only the release of al-Megrahi but also around the whole British governments handling of the entire Libyian issue and its lack of communication from the start and also apparent sleeze, the hand of Mandleson in Corfu, Gordon Brown silence, hurried release of transcript docs and oil contracts amongst other issues.
A dirty little subject which is not going away in a hurry.

Megrahi Decision

STRAW LETTERS FUEL NEW MEGRAHI ROW

Image via Wikipedia

They never learn, do they? The truth will always out!
Firstly, McSnot does his Macavity act for five days, secondly, when he deigns to grace us with his prescence, he talks much about his "repulsion" and "anger" and shifts the blame to the SNP Government in Scotland without actually giving us one piece of information that is believeable and thirdly, someone in Whitehall has finally done the decent thing to expose the truth we all suspected and has leaked a letter written by slippery Jack Straw showing the extent of Labour's involvement in the negotiations for the release of Libyan bomber al-Megrahi.

Jack Straw decided two years ago that it was in the UK's "overwhelming interests" not to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya, it has emerged.

Leaked letters from the Justice Secretary appeared to show that he backed away from efforts to stipulate that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was exempt from the agreement, citing "wider negotiations" with the Libyans.

Mr Straw's stance was set out in letters to Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice secretary who recently provoked anger by releasing Megrahi on compassionate grounds.

The bomber was not released as part of the prisoner transfer agreement. But the disclosure of Mr Straw's letters, by The Sunday Times, is likely to raise questions about the Government's position on Megrahi's return to Libya earlier this month.

Ministers have rejected suggestions that the release was tied in to Britain's commercial interests but have refused to state whether they agree with Mr MacAskill's highly controversial decision.

The Sunday Times reported that Mr Straw's apparent change of stance came at a crucial time in negotiations about an oil exploration contract for BP in Libya. Six weeks after his change of heart, the deal was ratified.

In one of the letters, Mr Straw wrote: "I had previously accepted the importance of the al-Megrahi issue to Scotland and said I would try to get an exclusion for him on the face of the agreement. I have not been able to secure an explicit exclusion.

"The wider negotiations are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom, I have agreed that in this instance the (prisoner transfer agreement) should be in the standard form and not mention any individual."

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey said the letters were the strongest evidence yet that the Government had been talking to the Libyans about Megrahi with a view to safeguarding Britain's commercial interests.

Thankfully this issue does not look like it will be going away for Gordon Brown anytime soon. We all know what happened, no matter what he says. He is implicated in this all the way up to his neck along with Blair, Mandelson and Straw and this letter is merely the first proof we have seen that confirms our suspicions. I imagine Gordon will not be getting much sleep again tonight - shame! My heart bleeds!!

HAT TIP TO The SUNDAY EXPRESS

STRAW LETTERS FUEL NEW MEGRAHI ROW