Robert Fisk: For the truth, look to Tehran and Damascus – not Tripoli
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Forget all the nonsense spouted by our beloved Foreign Secretary. He's all too happy to express his outrage. The welcome given to Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi in Tripoli was a perfect deviation from what the British Government is trying to avoid. It's called the truth, not that Mr Miliband would know much about it.
It was Megrahi's decision – not that of his lawyers – to abandon the appeal that might have told us the truth about Lockerbie. The British would far rather he return to the land of the man who wrote The Green Book on the future of the world (the author, a certain Col Muammar Gaddafi, also wrote Escape to Hell and Other Stories) than withstand the typhoon of information that an appeal would have revealed.
Brown and Gaddafi. Maybe they should set up as a legal company once their time is up. Brown and Gaddafi, Solicitors and Commissioners for Oaths. Not that the oaths would be truthful.
Megrahi's lawyers had delved deeply into his case – which rested on the word of a Maltese tailor who had already seen a picture of Megrahi (unrevealed to us at the time) so he could identify him in court – and uncovered some remarkable evidence from the German police.
Given the viciousness of their Third Reich predecessors, I've never had a lot of time for German cops, but on this occasion they went a long way towards establishing that a Lebanese who had been killed in the Lockerbie bombing was steered to Frankfurt airport by known Lebanese militants and the bag that contained the bomb was actually put on to the baggage carousel for checking in by this passenger's Lebanese handler, who had taken him to the airport, and had looked after him in Germany before the flight.
I have read all the interviews which the German police conducted with their suspects. They are devastating. There clearly was a Lebanese connection. And there probably was a Palestinian connection. How can I forget a press conference in Beirut held by the head of the pro-Syrian "Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" (they were known, then, as the "Lockerbie boys") in which their leader, Ahmed Jibril, suddenly blurted out: "I'm not responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. They are trying to get me with a kangaroo court."
Yet there was no court at the time. Only journalists – with MI6 and the CIA contacts – had pointed the finger at Jibril's rogues. It was Iran's revenge, they said, for the shooting down of a perfectly innocent Iranian passenger jet by the captain of the American warship Vincennes a few months earlier. I still happen to believe this is close to the truth.
But the moment Syria sent its tanks to defend Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, all the MI6 truth-telling turned into a claptrap of nonsense about Col Gaddafi. And Gaddafi, let's face it, was in deep trouble. Libya almost certainly was responsible for the earlier bombing of French UTA flight 772 over Chad in 1989. Why not frame him with Lockerbie too?
Of course, we must now forget the repulsive 2004 meeting that Blair arranged with Gaddafi after the latter had supposedly abandoned plans for nuclear weapons (not that his Tripoli engineers could repair a blocked lavatory in the Kebir Hotel), an act which the former foreign secretary Jack Straw called "statesmanlike".
This was the same "statesman" who hosted a group of gunmen that attacked a Greek cruise ship; whose navy had hijacked a yacht called the Silco and held its crew for eight years; and whose secret service kept the Provisional IRA supplied with weapons. Indeed, it was the same "statesman" who murdered the regime's opponents abroad and shot dead a young British policewoman in London.
Thank God for Jack Straw. He cleaned up Gaddafi's face and left it to Miliband to froth on about his outrage at Megrahi's reception back in Tripoli.
Meanwhile the relatives of those who died at Lockerbie – and here I am thinking of a deeply sad but immensely eloquent letter that one of those relatives sent to me – will not know the truth.
I suspect that the truth (speak it not, Mr Miliband, for you do not wish to know) lies in Lebanon, in Damascus and in Tehran. Given your cosy new relationship with the last two cities, of course, there's not a whimper of a chance that you'll want to investigate this, Mr Foreign Secretary. And not much encouragement will "Mad Dog" Gaddafi give to such an undertaking, not after the gifts – oil deals, primarily, but let's not forget the new Marks & Spencer in Tripoli – which he has given us.
Those who complain might be hanged publicly in Benghazi – like the public hanging there of dissident university students in 1979 – or otherwise wiped out, like poor old Mansour al-Kikhiya, who "disappeared" at a Cairo human rights conference in 1993 after complaining about the execution of Gaddafi's political opponents.
Ironically, Megrahi flew home to Tripoli on an Airbus A300 aircraft, exactly the same series as the Iranian plane the Americans shot down in 1988 – and about which Gaddafi never said anything.
It was Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (once Khomeini's chosen successor but now a recluse under semi-house arrest who stands up for President Ahmadinejad's political opponents) who said in Iran in 1988 that he was "sure that if the Imam [Khomeini] orders, all the revolutionary forces and resistance cells, both inside and outside the country, will unleash their wrath on US financial, economic and military interests".
Remember that, Mr Miliband? No, of course you don't. Not even a whimper of outrage.
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Comments
Or more likely a nod and a wink at either the lodge or the Press Club from one of the men who live in the shadows...
The tale of two planes that were destroyed the same year. One, an Iranian plane, was shot down by the Americans and killed 290. One we do not and may never know who exactly did it but was blamed on Libya anyhow and killed 270.
Finally, the Iranians receives from the US as a compensation $300,000 per wage-earning victim and $150,000 per non-wage-earner. The Americans however got $10,000,0000 per family.
Simply put: In 1988, the life of an Iranian cost either $150,000 or $300,000 depending on whether they were wage earners or not, and that of an American $10,000,0000 regardless of whether they were wage earners or not. Adjust for inflation to get the right figure today.
Now before blaming Iran, have you investigated the shipment of an unaccompanied brown briefcase allegedly containing the explosive shipped from Malta to Frankfurt on board the Maltese Airlines? According to the Frankfurt Airport official, it was put on board Pan Am 103. If that's true, then have you investigated the following?
1. Checked the cargo manifest.
2. Checked the passenger list from Malta to Germany. Did anyone interview them?
3. Checked payment invoice. Someone had to pay for the shipment.
4. Checked to see if an Air waybill was issued for the unaccompanied cargo? If not, why?
5. Checked the name and address of the sender / shipper.
6. Checked the name and address of the receiver.
7.Interviewed the Air Malta staff.
8. Interviewed the cargo handlers in Malta and Frankfurt.
9. Were there surveillance tapes at Malta and Frankfurt? If yes, did anyone check them?
The true cost of letting Iran and Syria off the hook will soon be apparent and it won't be long before these states go nuclear and we will be dancing to their tune. By buying these states off in order to prevent Saddam obtaining nuclear weapons, we may have allowed potentially worse enemies to achieve that goal. Oh dear!
Does any sane person in the West think that by paying $150k and $300k to the relatives of the victims that was justice? In comparison, Libya was forced to pay $10 mil for each victim. Incidentally, the US officers and crew members were awarded for the heinous crime. How disgusting and insulting?
Finally, the US and the UK are killing innocent people every day, but there is not a squeak in the West.
You reap what you sow, and the constant meddling in Middle East affairs by Western governments, especially the US and its British sidekick, comes at a price. Our citizens become targets of this sort of outrage. And at the heart of a lot of the problems is the running sore of the Palestinian Question.
If we were really serious about reducing Middle East sponsored terrorism, then we would put far more effort in trying to resolve the Palestinian Question. But the US especially, seems wedded to the Israeli line choose what, and won't exert the necessary pressure to bring peace just a little closer.
Someone needs to lock Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a room and not let them come out until they have a deal. By taking sides in what has seemed to be an intractable dispute, the US and Britain just put their citizens at risk for no tangible benefit.
As I have said before, I have no connection with or preference for either side of the Palestinian Question. But I have every interest in peace. Then we may be just a little safer from future Lockerbies, or worse.
As for Lockerbie, between the near-miss appeal and oil contracts, the whole story stinks.
The way I see law not that, you ask me but I am here to say something.
Please, do not take this personally but let us look at the facts.
Robert Fisk: For the truth, look to Tehran and Damascus ? not Tripoli
Ironically, Megrahi flew home to Tripoli on an Airbus A300 aircraft, exactly the same series as the Iranian plane the Americans shot down in 1988? And about which Gaddafi never said anything.
Na what do you want to say? Gaddafi take the parts of the plane assembles these in Scotland with the Scottish help (expensive as it is) and say ?Right Scots.? I have done the job you would have done in years, but I have oil flowing in. Bob Wake up.
He, Gaddafi does not sell A300 or Airbus Boeings he has the old Concord.
It was Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeriwill unleash their wrath on US financial, economic and military interests".
Here again the same tables but the legs up. How do you do these surprises my son?
You mean Ahmeadijan (I just cannot spell the long name) said I will wipe out the Israel. He said and we saw no Israel? That? Pledges are with the Bush and others too. HOWEVER, Tony took us to Iraq and that is why we in UK I am talking of UK as you are there to see, are in the gutter.
Leave the others and let us talk of us.
I thank you
Firozali A Mulla
I do not think the truth about Lockerbie 1988, will ever come out, anymore than the truth about Lockerbie prisoner release 2009 will. Bliar set up deals with Libya in 2004 and 2007, would you trust him? Jack Staw been involved, would you trust him? Mandelson meet with Gaddaffi son only weeks ago, would you trust him? Salmond said that no leverage was put on the Scottish justice minister, would you trust him? McSnotty has been totally silent about the whole affair, well I never trust him on anything?
You have more chance of finding fairies at the bottom of your garden, than get the truth with the above 'usual suspects' involved.
Libya deals with illegal immigration by executing the illegal immigrants, 200 Nigerians to be executed in cold blood.
http://odili.net/news/source/2009/a
Tells you something about what kind of country Libya is doesn’t it?
And it tells you something about the cowardice and incompetence of the media who fail to report such things.
"Tells you something about what kind of country" the wilfully de-skilled , de-educated, de-industrialised, banana republic of Britain "is doesn’t it?"
Of course, no sane person would doubt that the case against al-Megrahi is extremely unsound, but I do wonder what the scenario would have been if an Iranian warship had shot down a US airliner in US airspace. Would the US have settled for a few paltry dollars? No, the destructive fallout would have resulted in a global destabilising war in which possibly Israel would have unholstered their nuclear arsenal.
The end of al-Megrahi's appeal was the best result the US and UK could have wished for.
I hope that decent people will not let these bullies win and investigative journalism perseveres.
2. If others kill us for money or for revenge, they are terrorists.
3. If our enemies are dictators they are evil psychopaths.
4. If we would like to befriend a dictator, we focus on his need for arms.
5. 100,000 dead Arab darkies is acceptable collateral damage. But 270 dead Yanks is cause for a global fatwa.
6. Oil is evil unless we get it cheap. Then it's precious.
7. Greens are communists until we can control green energy markets. Then they are visionaries.
8. Bribes by the French show how much they distort international trade. Bribes by the UK or the US are good business.
9. Telling the truth too soon or too late is a house-arresting offence. For it shows independence of thought.
10. A black President must show his murdering credentials by killing black people. Because if he killed white people he would be branded racist.
11. Foreign service is the last sanctuary for semi-refined racists. Because defending the indefensible is core competence number one.
It's hard to believe Obama could be that short-sighted - but that's America, isn't it?
What did he mean by that.
Simply that the Iranian Government had the US one had cooked up a deal to allow the Iranians their one and one only revenge.
A day later, following two explosions of the Maid, (two? -read the AAIB report critically), the deed was done.
The CIA were, of course, involved.
If I a simple relative of another terrorist bombing (genuinely Libyan) can work out the name of one of the CIA men, it won't be a long tine coming out, will it?
Since the day of the explosion on Pan Am flight that killed civilians, we have been feed with news, court hearings of the case, with all right. At the same time I have not seen any articles, court hearing covering the Iranian flight that was intentionally shot down and no one has been to blame for that crime or sentenced to jail. The world should not think that Muslim countries will stand by and just watch their beloved ones get murdered without any retaliation under the same principles used by the west. What message does this give to the already boiling Middle East?
Mr. Fisk, by pointing a finger of accusation will not give any justice to relatives of the victims of the Iranian or Pan Am flights that where murdered in cold blood! Why not directly show on the most probably cause that started that evil circle of murder of civilians? Why not directly point out what happened that day in the Persian Gulf when the “brave” US commander gave the order that pulverized almost 300 civilians? Pointing finger at Syrian, Iran or any other country will not help? The explosion on Pan Am was for sure related to the American downing of the Iranian plane. If you and the relatives of the Iranian and Pan Am victims wish to seek the true and to know by person whom to blame, you should start pointing finger of accusation on that times sitting American president and military commanders and not at the Middle East! Pointing finger at Syria and Iran is irrelevant at a beginning! Reconciliation between the Middle East and the West is not what you are paving the road for Mr. Fisk!
And by calling Gaddafi "Mad Dog Gaddafi"? Have you lost all your sanity Mr. Fisk?
Happy Ramadan
You "suspect", but do not feel inclined to share the grounds for your suspicion with your readers, that Iran was involved.
Mr Fisk, what has become of you? You are a very sad case.
What is the deal between Israel and Britain ?
Zionist use money at this time to put pressure on Britain.
ethnic cleansing of Palestinians ,over 700,000 olives and orange trees have been destroyed by israels over 60 years....
no one move a finger...
I don't believe that moral integrity and justice have been sacrificed; it isn't easy to sacrifice a principle that exists on different levels and with multiple interpretations dependent on where an individual fits in the equation. The moral high-ground is invariably siezed by the powerful and used as justification for their actions (aka. Bush, Blair and Iraq) whilst 'justice' is invariably served on anyone who opposes them. (aka The US intent to destroy Gary Mackinnon for the crime of hunting for the truth about Aliens).
There is no longer any morality in politics and there is no justice under the law. Once one subscribes to the view that politics and the law in western society are arranged to facilitate the accumulation of wealth then so much becomes clear. Despite assertions to the contrary by the repugnant Mandelson, the principle holds good in the case of al Magrahi. American opinion is outraged because 'justice' was served on Magrahi and has now been overturned; the moral high ground (leading to the opportunity to accumulate significant wealth) has been siezed on behalf of BP, Shell and others by the establisment in the UK by showing compassion to a dying man.
I give credence to Mr Fisk's argument of Lebanese, Syrian and Iranian involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. It is plausable and occured at a time when the Islamic backlash against American involvement in the middle-east was in it's genesis; in the light of subsequent events his argument is compelling.
American Hubris in 1988 did not allow for the fact that some people actually might object to them doing what they liked, wherever they wanted to do it - the shooting down of the Iranian airliner and the subsequent American reaction was offensive at the time to many in the west, despite the 'glossing over' the event got from a subservient western press- well managed outrage coupled to copious justification. How much more offensive must it have been to the Iranians when the tragedy was compounded by the spin and inference prompted by American arrogance and moral infallability?
Irrespective of which Administration is in power there is a common theme to American foriegn policy - ruthless arrogance, agression and bloated self interest, driven by the insatiable demand of US corporations to make money and the immensly powerful Israeli lobby. Backed by the world's largest and most sophisticated military it is little wonder that successive administrations can impose their own brand of morality and justice on an increasingly unwilling world. In this context we in the UK have become complicit in the evils of grand corporatism, the original drivers of British imperialism, exported to and ultimately eclipsed by the Americans.
The Lockerbie bomber may or may not be innocent, the truth is well concealed and will never be known lest it should disturb the the particular brand of morality and justice preached by westen governments, which is so fundamentally abhorent to those subject to it's practice,
Were I to believe that this man was really to blame, I might be upset at his release. Not because I don't believe we should show compassion to the weak and suffering, but because we don't show that to our own citizens who have committed far lesser crimes than the (purported) murder of nearly 290 people.