The Australian is reporting today on a secret letter sent to the Scottish government by the United States regarding the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi (the Lockerbee bomber). The Obama Administration had stated in the letter that releasing al-Megrahi for compassionate reasons was more acceptable than locking him up in a Libyan prison. This was based on the assumption that al-Megrahi was suffering from prostate cancer and only had a few months to live.
According to the article:
"The US Senate foreign relations committee launched a probe after The Sunday Times revealed this month that Megrahi's doctors thought he could live for another decade.
"A source close to the Senate inquiry said: "The (LeBaron) letter is embarrassing for the US because it shows they were much less opposed to compassionate release than prisoner transfer.""
"Last week, a succession of British politicians - including Mr MacAskill, Mr Salmond and former justice secretary Jack Straw - delivered a diplomatic snub to the senators by refusing to fly across the Atlantic to answer questions at the Senate's hearing on Thursday (US time) about their role in Megrahi's release."
The British are not obligated to show up for United States Senate hearings. I think it is a bit of arrogance to expect them to come and be grilled by Congress! The bottom line here is that we believed what we were told and acted accordingly. It is a shame that the families of the people killed in the Lockerbee bombing had to watch the hero's welcome al-Megrahi received in Libya and then be told he may live another ten to twenty years. As usual, in the area of terrorism, the Obama Administration was snookered.
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