Scottish Government Stick Two Fingers Up At Yanks Options

[MalkysLargeOvers...]

The Scottish Government answers to the people of Scotland, not you imperialistic bullying bastards



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-sout...otland-10727266

Scottish ministers and officials will not attend a US Senate hearing about the circumstances surrounding the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The foreign relations committee wanted Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and the Scottish Prison Service's medical chief, Dr Andrew Fraser, to be present.

Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison last August because he was dying.
Related stories

* Salmond writes to US over Megrahi
* Q&A: Lockerbie bomber release row
* Senators call for Lockerbie probe

He was convicted of bombing a US-bound jumbo jet over Lockerbie in 1988.

The committee has also formally invited Jack Straw, who was justice secretary at the time the Lockerbie bomber was freed.

He said: "Before coming to any decision as to whether to accept this invitation, I shall be consulting Gordon Brown, as prime minister at the time, and seeking the advice of the Foreign Office."

BP chief executive Tony Hayward has been asked to attend to answer allegations that his company pressed for Megrahi's release in order to help secure an offshore deal with Libya.
WHO HAS BEEN INVITED?
Continue reading the main story
letter inviting Kenny MacAskill

* Jack Straw, former justice secretary - He said: "Before coming to any decision to accept, I shall consult Gordon Brown, as prime minister at the time, and seek the advice of the Foreign Office."

* Tony Hayward, BP chief executive - A BP spokesman said: "We have received the invitation and we are considering it."
* Tony Blair, former UK prime minister - A spokesperson said Mr Blair would be making no comment "ahead of any such invitation".
* Kenny MacAskill, Scottish Justice Secretary (declined invite) - A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Scottish ministers and public officials are accountable within the Scottish Parliament system - that is the constitutional basis of our democracies."

* Dr Andrew Fraser, Scottish Prison Service's medical chief (declined invite) - A Scottish government spokesperson said it would be happy to supply further written evidence to the US Senate.

A BP spokesman said: "We have received the invitation and we are considering it."

The BBC understands that former prime minister Tony Blair has also been invited to appear.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government confirmed that the invite to Mr MacAskill and Dr Fraser had been turned down.

The Senate hoped the two men would testify on Capitol Hill on 29 July.

The spokesperson added: "Since the Lockerbie atrocity in 1988, all matters regarding the investigation, prosecution and compassionate release decision have been conducted according to the jurisdiction and laws of Scotland.

"Clearly, the Senate Committee has responsibility to scrutinise decisions taken within the US system, and Scottish ministers and public officials are accountable within the Scottish Parliament system. That is the constitutional basis of our democracies.

"The Scottish Parliament's justice committee has already undertaken a full inquiry into the decision on compassionate release, and the Westminster Scottish affairs committee has also examined the issue in terms of the formal inter-governmental relations that exist within the UK. That is right and proper."

The spokesperson also said the Scottish government would be happy to supply further written evidence to the US Senate.

Wider issues

Meanwhile, the UN's observer at the trial of the Lockerbie bomber has said the circumstances surrounding the case may never be fully uncovered.

Dr Hans Kochler, who saw Megrahi convicted at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands in 2001, said he was not convinced of the Libyan's guilt.

The 58-year-old was jailed for life for the bombing which killed 270 people, most of them Americans.

US senators want his release in 2009 on compassionate grounds to be examined.

The former international observer agreed there should be an investigation, not only into the release but also the wider issues of the Lockerbie inquiry, trial and appeal.

Dr Hans Kochler said the truth about the Lockerbie tragedy is still unknown

He told BBC's Newsnight Scotland: "Why, for instance, has the appeal - which was ongoing last year - been dropped by Mr Megrahi?

"Another question would be why did the secretary of state for justice take that unprecedented step and visit the Libyan prisoner in a Scottish jail for a private meeting, after that prisoner had applied for compassionate release?"

Dr Kochler said there was never any question of Mr MacAskill believing there had been a miscarriage of justice in the case, but questioned what was discussed at the meeting between the two at Greenock Prison on 4 August last year.

He pointed out that Megrahi dropped his appeal against his conviction on 12 August.

"The issue is not one of innocence or guilt," he said.

"The minister has repeatedly made clear that he fully trusts the judgement of the Scottish courts.

"He has certainly discussed matters which he did not disclose in public. He must have had a very compelling reason to meet that prisoner in private."

Terminal cancer

When asked if the truth of the circumstances would ever be uncovered, Dr Kochler said: "I'm very sceptical.

"We do not know the truth about the Lockerbie tragedy.
David Cameron and Barack Obama Prime Minister David Cameron came under fire over Mr MacAskill's decision during his trip to the US

"The question that still remains is what the second appeal would have resulted in, what decision would the second appeal court have finally made if the proceedings were not aborted."

In 2007 the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission - which examines possible miscarriages of justice - granted Megrahi a second appeal.

It subsequently emerged he was suffering from terminal cancer.

His second appeal got under way last year but shortly afterwards applications were made for both his transfer to a Libyan jail and release on compassionate grounds.

Megrahi did not have to drop his appeal in order to be released compassionately.

The SCCRC has spent the past six months trying to get details of the abandoned appeal made public, but none of the people and organisations involved - the Crown Office, Foreign Office, police authorities, Megrahi and his legal team - have given unqualified consent to the release of the documents.

Mr Kochler told Newsnight Scotland: "I am not convinced that the Libyan convict, the only person who was convicted in this case, is guilty as charged.

"For that reason I would have hoped that the SCCRC's report would have been taken more seriously and that the appeal would have been allowed to continue in the interests of justice."

[Jimmie O']

He should never have been released, he should have died in Prison

[KingShep]

I don't think the OP understands that this was an International incident affecting many countries and nationalities. The fact it hapopened over Scottish airspace demanded that the Scots act responsibly for the International community. Sadly they failed

[MalkysLargeOvers...]

the OP

you've been using other forums

[Speke]

More and more talk of "oil" coming into the frame. IF he was released back to Libya, Ghadaffi would 'put a good word in for the US'....sounds b/s politics, He was supposedly dying of cancer......hmmmmm.

Those that died meant nothing it appears, at the hand of a Muslim extremeist

[MalkysLargeOvers...]

now i dont agree with the release of the guy in the first place but who the fook do the americans think they are? they are now going to come to scotland to demand answers

hope they are told tae feck off.


maybe we should head over to america and demand answers as to why they bombed the middle east for so long that it would create the resentment enough to plant a bomb on a plane in the first place.

[KingShep]

the OP

you've been using other forums

Thought you might like that