Lockerbie: now it's payback time
Prospect of lucrative trade deals fuels anger at Megrahi's release
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AFP
Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi returned to Tripoli late on Thursday to a hero's welcome
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British businesses were poised for a Libyan windfall last night after the release of the convicted terrorist Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi completed a five-year rehabilitation for the north African state.
British trade leaders said the release of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing was a major breakthrough in relations between the two nations, which have progressed at breakneck speed since Tony Blair met the former pariah leader Muammar Gaddafi in a bedouin tent outside Tripoli in 2004.
Col Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, last night said that Megrahi's release was linked to trade deals with Britain, with British oil, gas and water treatment companies, banks, security contractors, tobacco firms and even women's high-street clothing stores in line for hundreds of millions of pounds of business.
Lord Trefgarne, the former trade minister who chairs the Libyan-British Business Council, declared yesterday that there would be "benefits" for British firms from the decision to release Megrahi – adding to the row over the Scottish administration's decision to free him on compassionate grounds to return home to Libya.
John Mosey, whose 19-year-old daughter Helga was on Pan Am Flight 103, said: "It seems clear to me that some sort of deal was done between Libya, Britain and America to get Megrahi to drop his appeal. We know that these [trade deals] go on ... but if they come at the price of truth and justice, then I'm afraid we no longer live in a civilised society. It's obscene. If that is the case here, which does seem likely, it stinks."
The political fall-out of the decision to release Megrahi escalated yesterday, as he returned home to joyous scenes, with hundreds of Libyans waving flags and swarming his convoy. The White House said the scenes in Tripoli were "outrageous and incredibly offensive" and the US President Barack Obama described the homecoming as "highly objectionable".
Earlier the Tory leader David Cameron urged Gordon Brown to break his silence on Megrahi's release. In a letter to Mr Brown, Mr Cameron said: "I believe that the public are entitled to know what you think of the decision to release Megrahi, and whether you consider it was right or wrong."
Downing Street disclosed that the Prime Minister had personally appealed to Col Gaddafi, in a letter the day before Megrahi's release from Greenock prison, for the terminally ill former intelligence officer to be given a low-key return rather than a hero's welcome.
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, condemned the triumphant scenes in Tripoli as "distasteful". "Obviously, the sight of a mass murderer getting a hero's welcome in Tripoli is deeply upsetting, deeply distressing," he added.
But Mr Miliband strongly denied that Megrahi had been freed to improve commercial relations. "I really reject that entirely," he said. "That is a slur both on myself and the Government."
And in an interview with The Times, Megrahi said that he intended to produce evidence proving his innocence. "My message to the British and Scottish communities is that I will put out the evidence and they will be the jury," he said.
Lord Trefgarne, a defence minister at the time of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, said: "In Libya, business matters and political matters are inextricably entwined."
Mr Islam, considered his father's most likely successor, declared: "I affirm that the Libyan people will not forget this brave stance from the governments of Britain and Scotland and that friendship between us will be enhanced forever."
The oil giant BP, which returned to Libya in 2007 after Mr Blair signed a deal with Col Gaddafi for a $900m joint venture, will be foremost among those UK companies expected to profit. Libya has the largest proven oil reserves in Africa, at 42 billion barrels.
"The potential is very large," said a spokesman for BP. "There's a lot of hope that new resources will be found there. You could be looking at an investment of $20bn over a couple of decades." BP is expected to now be able to push forward at speed with its geological study of the Sirte basin, an offshore area the size of Belgium.
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the government body that helps British companies win contracts abroad, is aggressively advising UK firms on how to succeed in Tripoli. Industry sources say that the sectors most likely to benefit from such a windfall include oil, gas, water and financial services.
Libya has $5bn to invest across Africa and is seeking British joint venture partners to match investment in hotels, oil and mineral extraction and banks. Even British high-street retailers are moving in to Tripoli: Next will open its first Libyan store on 8 October, joining Marks & Spencer, Bhs and Monsoon Accessorize.
The pest control company Rentokil was called in by the Libyan government this year to eradicate the infestations of desert rats which blight several cities. Rentokil uncovered an outbreak of bubonic plague in the north-eastern town of Tobruk, and is looking into setting up an office in Libya.
UK visible exports to Libya last year totalled £280m, up one-fifth on 2007. In the first five months of 2009, UK exports to Libya rose by 49 per cent to £166m. UKTI estimates that at least 150 British companies operate in Libya. The Duke of York, a trade ambassador for Britain, has visited Libya four times in two years and met Col Gaddafi and his son.
Lord Trefgarne said the "positive" decision on Megrahi would bring relief to the business community. There would have been a "distinct cooling" in commercial relations had he not been released. He said that British business links had initially developed more slowly than the council had hoped. "Perhaps now, with what I would assume to be the final resolution of the Lockerbie affair as far as the Libyans are concerned, maybe they will move forward a little more swiftly," he said.
The Scottish Parliament has been recalled next week and the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is expected to come under fierce questioning. Alex Salmond, the SNP First Minister, hinted that political considerations played a part: "There is no doubt that politics came into it – but not from the Scottish Government."
British business interests in Libya
According to UK Trade & Investment, at least 150 British businesses operate in Libya. They include:
*BP
In 2007, the company signed a deal worth $900m with the Libyan government. It plans to explore an area of 54,000 sq km.
*Shell
Moments after Tony Blair concluded his talks with Colonel Gaddafi in March 2004, the Anglo-Dutch company announced that it had signed a deal worth £550m for the right to explore gas reserves off the Libyan coast.
*BG Group
The gas producer has been active in Libya since 2005, scouring an area of thousands of square kilometres in the country's onshore Sirt Basin.
*Marks & Spencer
The British retailer opened a store in Tripoli in 2008, a stone's throw from the British Council's headquarters.
*Rentokil
At the beginning of this year, the pest-control company won a £24m contract after the Libyan government became worried by desert rat infestations in several cities. A 32-strong team discovered an outbreak of bubonic plague in the north-eastern town of Tobruk.
* ... and the rest
Bhs opened a shop in Tripoli in April, Monsoon and Accessorise have a joint branch in the city and Next plans to open its first store in October.
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Comments
Take a closer look at the facts perhaps.
be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and
men going at it blind as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The
conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a
different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty
thing when you look into it too much.
The horrors of colonialism and is cynical of the entire process. The main one being the shadowy and elusive Kurtz, who represents all of Europe: “All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz” . The very nature of colonialism has not changed much from Roman times to his day, except that the tools and weapons used have become more sophisticated. The main purpose and the results have stayed the same. Conrad illuminates the secret evils of colonialism and the Europeans capitalist approach through Marlow’s journey up the Congo.
reflective justification is not an answer; tit for tat reasoning is for sick children not adult human beings
The real truth about Lockerbie will probably never be known.
One who listens to the lies peddled by their disreputable governments and believes them.
It is the naive who allow these corrupt dictators to flourish in our "democratic" societies.
Second Lieutenant William Calley who was involved in the murder of at least 350 unarmed women, children and elderly people at My Lai in 1968 was found guilty, sentenced to life in prison and served three years of house arrest before being released. 40 years on Calley has just annouced a public apology.
Then there is Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse by US forces. Only two were convicted. Lynndie England served 18 months of a 3 year sentence. Charles Graner has served 4 years of 10 year sentence. No officer faced charges.
Since October 7, 2001, there have been 775 renditions to Guantánamo Bay. Of these, approximately 430 have been released without charge. As of January 2009, approximately 245 detainees remain. Only three inmates have been charged and convicted.
This was always about trade, the UK wants more so wanted the release, the US wants more and decided that having this chap still in prison would suit them. As it is the UK govt gets its way and can blame the Scotts for the release so can do the doey eyed poodle routine to the US and say "nowt to do with us"
Now we know what American Justice means - its showing clemency to its own whilst seeking vegence against all others.
You gotta feel sorry for Gary MacKinnon......as the US public prosecuter said, "the guy is toast."
People are right it is about politics and our economy, but this was a master stroke of good politics.
This may mean that lybia sertainly less likely to do this again if we are on good terms with it.
and the people of britain will certainly benifit.
One man... a small price to pay for our common proserity and good relations with another country.
and on top of that there is evidence that the man might be inocent in the first place! there is real contradiction in justice!
in my opnion swapping one probleme for our common prosperity would comething i'de glagly do myself!
Does he agree with the Labour party in Scotland?
Does he deny that a deal was done by Blair and Brown to get easy release of the bomber?
The release is no more than a calculated and cynical political move by the SNP to appease the virulent prejudices of their anti-american voters in socialist dominated Scotland. This is a very useful reminder of the very toxic mindset of small-minded nationalism and how it inevitably leads to the irrational hatred that has been seen in Northern Ireland.
There is nothing wrong with being proud of your country but the blinkered bigotry of identity politics has much to answer for.
Unfortunately, the rest of the UK is now infected with this mad meme; Wales, Cornwall and the relentless rise of the BNP in England only serves to demonstrates that there are very many people who are completely unaware that we all live in one world.
You used to stand for reduced state intervention, free markets, and entrepreneurialism. You used to let your people be free to think, and to invent, and to live, and to thrive. Do you think 9/11, and the attacks on England were fake? Do you hear the condescending, pretentious, remarks from the liberals, treating you as if you are off your rocker if you don't ride the magic carpet of Global Warming and "Living Green" hype?
There is nothing wrong with standing strong against terrorism. Don't let the left tell you that it is racist to take a hard line against it. There exists Muslims that are not insecure in allowing their women freedoms. Stand with them, and let that attitude bring you together. Do not let the liberals divide you by their manipulations of guilt if you stand hard against Muslim extremists. Muslim extremists fear western freedoms for their women period. They are so insecure about any man looking at their women, they force them to cover their bodies, in the name of "saving my beauty for my man". I don't believe Muslim women are covering their bodies willingly to "reserve their beauty for their man" for a second. They are doing it because Muslim extremists are afraid of women gaining personal freedoms. That fear of losing control over women explains why they will go to any extreme to preserve the outdated ways of their civilization.
Wake up England, before it is too late.
You used to stand for reduced state intervention, free markets, and entrepreneurialism. You used to let your people be free to think, and to invent, and to live, and to thrive. Do you think 9/11, and the attacks on England were fake? Do you hear the condescending, pretentious, remarks from the liberals, treating you as if you are off your rocker if you don't ride the magic carpet of Global Warming and "Living Green" hype?
There is nothing wrong with standing strong against terrorism. Don't let the left tell you that it is racist to take a hard line against it. There exists Muslims that are not insecure in allowing their women freedoms. Stand with them, and let that attitude bring you together. Do not let the liberals divide you by their manipulations of guilt if you stand hard against Muslim extremists. Muslim extremists fear western freedoms for their women period. They are so insecure about any man looking at their women, they force them to cover their bodies, in the name of "saving my beauty for my man". I don't believe Muslim women are covering their bodies willingly to "reserve their beauty for their man" for a second. They are doing it because Muslim extremists are afraid of women gaining personal freedoms. That fear of losing control over women explains why they will go to any extreme to preserve the outdated ways of their civilization.
Wake up England, before it is too late.
That was an early CIA distraction.
Of course the destruction was done by an Iranian with more than a little help from the CIA.
The CIA?
Who caused the second explosion on the Maid. Read the AAIB very very critically and ask yourself how could a relatively mild explosion from an IED (Mr Claiden's(AAIB witness, Zeist tiral) description) cause the aircraft to break into 5 pieces?
And why are there two debris trails from the Maid at exactly 14 second intervals.
Where is Tony Blair by the way ? Aspiring for European Presidency ?
Someone open the window, the stench is unbearable !
I am afraid Western States are so indebted that they have to abide by Gaddafi's rules, which also suggests that Lybia has got money! And we cannot but notice that Gaddafi's threats and sanctions against the Western world are more effective than UN's and Western countries' threats and embargoes.
Is it the beginning of a new world order or a new concept of international development?
Zionist backed government of Osama Bin Obama Bin Barack is upset that a Libyan citizen judged by his ennemies is welcomed back home. I must laugh!