The release of the Lockerbie bomber

[Jukebox]

I cant quite believe the decision of the Scottish justice minister Kenny MacAskill to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi who was convicted of the Lockerbie disaster! This is of course on compassionate grounds due to the fact he is terminally ill with prostate cancer.

Why should he be shown any compassion and how distressing must it be for survivors and the victims families to witness the heroes welcome he recieved on arrival in Tripoli!

[Highlander]

MacAskill talked about how proud Scots were to be known for their compassion and humanity. I agree 100% with that.

What I cannot understand is why we could not have shown Megrahi that compassion and humanity in the confines of his cell where he most certainly should have remained until his death.

[tinkerman]

Obama is not impressed either.

[John H]

Watch his progress.
There may be more miracles to come in the middle east.

[kevin b]

The only good thing is look at how much money the Gov has saved letting him go & how much the NHS has saved not treating him.
He should of still been left to rot in jail though.

[tony]

oh and think of the lucrative building contacts in libya. I can't understand why young men are dying on a daily basis in afghanistan fighting terrorism yet we are releasing this man. I'm afraid the whole situation is about money and that is the sad truth.

[kevin3]

Libya has vast oil reserves,75% lay untapped.Britain wants that oil to remove our dependency on Russian oil.Big companies want the profits that will follow.Blair,followed by Brown have courted Gaddafi to get that oil.The bomber was never going to die in jail but it came close due to a mix-up between English and Scottish laws.The bomber is a relative of Gaddafi,and was acting on behalf of Gaddafi.The investigation and trial cost you and I many millions of pounds and the truth remains covered up.The victims and their families are a secondary issue.Politics and profit are the main concern and the bombing interrupted trade.
 A total discrace,which should be remembered at Election time!!!

[heather07]

Why was such a big decision made by the Scottish parliament and not London?

[kevin3]

Brown wanted to be able to say "I did'nt let him go".

[heather07]

That is what I thought.  It is odd that there has hardly been anything said about the decision by MPs south of the border.  

I also believe that American government have agreed to this, despite the protests,  or it would have been stopped.

He had to agree to drop the appeal or he would never have left this country.

The sad thing is we will never know if he was a scapegoat or not.