The al-Megrahi affair gains further, gradual illumination via an interview with Jack Straw in this morning’s Telegraph. Unsurprisingly, however, this clarification raises still further questions.
The interview reveals that:
- Mr Straw travelled to Scotland in July, 2007, in order to discuss the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Kenny MacAskill and Alex Salmond;
- Mr Straw did discuss, “at some stage”, the issue of compassionate release with the Scottish administration;
- Trade, including the BP oil deal, was “a very big part” of the PTA negotiations;
- Government colleagues, including Gordon Brown, did not agree to drop the exclusion of al-Megrahi from the terms of the PTA: “I certainly didn’t talk to the PM. There is no paper trail to suggest he was involved at all.”
The above, however, is contrary to the following positions adopted by Government members over the last few days:
- Gordon Brown and David Miliband’s insistence that the decision to release al-Megrahi was one wholly for the Scottish Executive, with no input whatever from the British Government;
- Gordon Brown’s declaration that there was “no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi”;
- The briefing by “a source close to Jack Straw” that ““It wasn’t just Jack who decided this. It was a Government decision. Jack did not act unilaterally.”
The Government has now arrived at the point where almost anything said by one of its members will contradict statements made by others. Surely even Gordon Brown must see by now that this cannot continue; enormous damage is being done to his personal reputation and, more importantly, to the international reputation of this country.
He must call an inquiry as a matter of urgency.
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Of course if the country still had capital punishment this al-Megrahi affair would never have come about would it?
Could we all just stop beating around the bush here!
Everyone knows that Jack Straw is a L I A R . . . fact!
He is also one of the most repressive and authoritarian members of this Labour Junta and deserves to be imprisoned for his part in the LIE that took this country into an illegal war.
Not YOU again, Silent Hunter – and your habitual side-tracking onto other matters!
There was nothing illegal about any recent war. There is also nothing illegal about securing international deals on the back of vague, maybes, who-knows “understandings”.
Understand?
If not – how do you cope with this? -
You ARE fully aware that the Tories would have been like the proverbial rat up a drainpipe taking the country into that particular war. It was only through their votes in parliament that Blair won the LEGAL authority to go to war.
Would you be screaming for Tory blood if they had taken that decision?
No, of course not. They’d have been right. As was Blair in this MOST SUCCESSFUL of recent wars.
This, mentioned at my website, is clearly still what you’re after.
http://keeptonyblairforpm.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/blairs-head-on-a-spear-charge-frears-with-incitement-to-murder/
Give it up. You won’t get it.
Mr Jones
The decision to release al-Megrahi was taken wholly by Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill, in full compliance with the procedures of the Scottish justice system.
The behaviour of the UK Labour Government over this issue has indeed beggared belief, having long been involved in ‘sweetening up’ the Libyans, and manoeuvring for their favoured outcome of a prisoner transfer agreement, from the contrary stances of various Labour ministers, and the ‘moral cowardice’ of Brown’s silence and failure to lead on the matter, to the partisan, opportunist and contrary stance of the ‘Scottish’ Labour group in Holyrood – Labour’s conduct throughout this affair has been abominable.
The Scottish Government has consistently demonstrated its opposition to the prisoner transfer agreement and, moreover, its resistance to any and all attempts to ‘influence’ the final decision – including the bullying tactics of the US and any similar such machinations by the UK government – besides which, the release on compassionate grounds – entirely within the remit of the Scottish Government – is a scenario categorically distinct from those discussed under any alleged or exposed ‘deals’.
You expressed in a previous post that Mr MacAskill’s decision should be seen as a source of ‘shame’.
On the contrary, the real shame has been the partisan opportunism of the three London parties who, in seeking to ‘apologise’ for Kenny MacAskill’s decision, have portrayed our Parliament as insular, indecisive, and cowed by reactionary opinion.
Perhaps worst of all, they countered an act of inspirational humanity with a declaration of corrosive distrust.
Also, Mr Jones, you are perhaps unaware that the ‘Scottish Executive’ has not been in administration since 2007, when that ambiguous term was replaced by incoming ‘Scottish Government’.
Like it or not, The Scottish Government is now the administration’s official and permanent title, so may I suggest that you amend any future references to the “Scottish Executive” accordingly – unless, of course, that would offend your particular political view?