As almost everyone already knows, yesterday Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted in connection with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, was released by Scottish authorities from on "compassionate" grounds. This has caused a considerable amount of controversy, especially in the United States, with 180 out of the 270 passengers of Flight 103 being American citizens. The "hero's welcome" al-Megrahi was given in Tripoli didn't help matters either.
Preceding the release, the Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, made a statement in which he claimed his decision was about "remaining true to our values as a people." There are new allegations out tonight that cast some doubt on this release being all about "compassion" or a higher moral standard.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), Seif al-Islam (the son of & a possible successor to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) claims the release of al-Megrahi was tied to trade deals between Libya and the United Kingdom. The UK foreign office adamantly denies this assertion.
From AFP:
The release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi was linked to trade deals with Britain, Seif al-Islam, the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, said in a interview broadcast Friday. Britain's then prime minister Tony Blair raised Megrahi's case each time he visited Libya, he said in an interview broadcast by Libyan channel Al Mutawassit.
"In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table," said Islam, interviewed Thursday night as he accompanied Megrahi on the flight back from Scotland to Libya. He added: "All British interests were linked to the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi."
In 2007, British Petroleum & the Libya Investment Corporation signed a major exploration and production agreement with Libya's National Oil Company to explore around 54,000 square kilometers of the onshore Ghadames and offshore frontier Sirt basins of Libya. The BP group's chief executive called it "BP's single biggest exploration commitment."
The UK's foreign office is denying the decision was made to secure commercial interests.
The Foreign Office insisted Megrahi's release had been a matter solely for the Scottish authorities. A spokesman said: "No deal has been made between the UK government and the Libyan government in relation to Megrahi and any commercial interests in the country." UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband earlier rejected suggestions the UK pushed for Megrahi's release to improve relations as "a slur on both myself and the government".
Over at the NY Times, there are reports British officials are considering canceling a planned trip to Tripoli in early September by the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, "who has made a reputation for promoting British business interests in parts of the world where Britain has played down its human rights agenda as it has sought oil deals and other lucrative contracts."
On Friday, Lord Trefgarne, chairman of the Libyan British Business Council, said Mr. Megrahi’s release had opened the way for Britain’s leading oil companies to pursue multibillion-dollar oil contracts with Libya, which had demanded Mr. Megrahi’s return in talks with British officials and business executives.
Lord Trefgarne told the BBC that talks on oil contracts had "not moved as fast as we would have hoped and expected" since Tony Blair, then prime minister, met in a tent in Libya five years ago with Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan leader, and set the terms for the "deal in the desert" that sketched a reconciliation between Colonel Qaddafi’s pariah government and the West.
British executives had made no secret of their intense lobbying for a prisoner transfer treaty ratified by Britain and Libya in April; before Mr. Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis, that treaty was seen as the most likely avenue for his return to Libya. But his cancer, and a finding by medical specialists that he was not likely to live more than three months, cleared the way for his release on compassionate grounds.
Before departing to Camp David, President Obama called the hero’s welcome for Abdel Baset al-Megrahy in Libya "highly objectionable."
Earlier in the day White House press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the images out of Libya yesterday were "outrageous and disgusting" and "incredibly offensive to Americans," and that they are watching to see how the Libyan government will respond.
"We communicated with the Libyan government, and we continue to watch what they do in the days going forward about this individual and -- and understand that the video that you saw yesterday is tremendously offensive to the survivors that, as I said, lost a loved one in 1988."
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is facing calls from Labour, Torries, and the Liberal Democrats to recall the Scottish parliament and face questions over MacAskill's decision, along with some pretty strong statements.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said: "International embarrassment has been heaped upon Scotland. "We were faced with the stomach-churning sight of our flag on parade in Tripoli, a mass murderer given a hero's return, and concern over our relations and standing with the US. I say this to Alex Salmond and his SNP Government: 'When you sent the Lockerbie bomber back to a hero's reception, you did not act in my name?'"
Lib Dem justice spokesman Robert Brown MSP said: "The SNP Government have brought disgrace and discredit to Scotland."
Russell Brown, the Labour MP for Dumfries, said: "I've never been ashamed to see my country's flag waved before but to see it misused to celebrate mass murder is outrageous." Scots Labour leader Iain Gray blasted Mr MacAskill as being internationally naive.