The Megrahi Release-Time to Get Real Answers

Pan Am bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi leaving Scotland
Not the only one who should hide his face


Now that the British and Scottish governments have released documents pertaining to the release of Pan Am bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, even more questions have been opened up, and the Brits, Scots and our own government have some more questions to answer.

Now we know that the UK, while negotiating for oil and gas contracts with Libyan and an opening up of more relations, were making a deal to release al-Megrahi. Foreign Minister Jack Straw, initially opposed to including Megrahi on a Prisoner Transfer Agreement, changed course and then endorsed it as negotiations reached a critical stage. Those were his own words as he wrote to the Scottish Justice Minister saying, "wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage...".

We also know that London advised Edinburgh that there no legal impediments to releasing al-Megrahi.

We also now know that in February, a British foreign office official named Bill Rammell was in Libya and telling Libyan officials that PM Gordon Brown "didn't want al-Megrahi to die of cancer in prison". Queried about that statement, Rammell took two hours to tell the BBC the following:


"Neither the Libyans nor the Scottish executive were left in any doubt throughout this entire process that this was a decision for the Scottish executive over which the UK government sought no influence," Rammell said. "I made it clear in all my dealings with the Libyans that the decision around Megrahi was exclusively one for the Scottish executive."

Later Rammell told the BBC he had passed on Prime Minister Brown's feelings to the Libyan Government: "I did say that. But we need to put it in context. I was making it emphatically clear that this was a decision for Scottish ministers."

Gordon Brown has refused to make any comment on his role. It's now time that the British public demand that he do so. I have a feeling they will.

Brown has, in fact, expressed his anger that the Libyans turned al-Megrahi's homecoming into a gala event. He should be. The Libyans promised the Brits that they would not do so. It was all part of the deal they reached.

What the folks in the UK are now realizing is that their government had to release al-Megrahi in order to cut the oil and gas deal with the Libyans. It looks like a major scandal is under way in England and Scotland.

But there's more-that directly impacts the US. Fox News is reporting today that according to an anonymous source in the Scottish Government, they received a letter Tuesday from the US Embassy-Chief of Staff Richard LeBaron to be specific-demanding that they not release any communication between the US and Scotland pertaining to the al-Megrahi matter.

Why is that, if true? Is there something our government does not want the American public to know about its communications with the UK on al-Megrahi? That should be easy enough to clear up. All it takes is for one of the White House Press Corps to ask White House Press Spokesman Robert Gibbs about it tomorrow morning. Obviously, Mr LeBaron would not have acted on his own to send such a letter. Of course, we all know there is only one news outlet interested in getting that tidbit of information-Fox News. Watch the others ignore it.

So here are the burning questions that should be asked:

Is there any truth to the Fox report?

If so, who directed the US Embassy to send such a message?

What say you, Madame Secretary?


Who, if anybody in the White House directed the State Department to send such a message?

What say you, Mr President?


Aside from the tepid statements of disappointment that came out of the mouths of Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder and the President, how complicit was the US itself in agreeing to this disgraceful release?