Mass killer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi supposedly dying in a Libyan hospital last August
On December 9, I asked the question here why the infamous Lockerbie Bomber wasn't dead yet. He had been released in August by Scottish authorities ostensibly on "compassionate grounds" after serving only 8 1/2 years of his life sentence for killing 270 people, mostly Americans, on Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. Al-Megrahi was said to be afflicted with "terminal prostate cancer" and given only three months to live. He received a hero's welcome on his return to Libya. Soon after, the above photo of him in the hospital was released. Then, he dropped from sight, and by all accounts is still very much alive.
That was four months and 19 days ago. So what's going on?
Daily Beast editor Lloyd Grove tried to find out and got a run-around from British and Scottish officials. Grove was able to establish that, unbelievably, the British-Scottish responsibility for monitoring Megrahi's release is in the hands of the Community Health and Care Partnership of the East Renfrewshire Council -- sort of like your local town health department. Ah, but the Council guy told Grove that he couldn't comment on Megrahi's health since "the privacy of the client's medical details must be respected." Megrahi is a "client," no less, not even a parolee. much less a convicted terrorist!
This whole thing stinks to high heaven. From the outset in August, it was clear that the British government had sold out the Lockerbie victims to smooth the way for a huge BP oil deal with Libya and had persuaded the Scots to release him “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom."
Megrahi's three months are up long ago, and he's still not dead. The families of his victims deserve at least an explanation, but no one is talking. President Obama must demand an accounting from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. And the British press and people would be doing everyone a favor if they raised hell themselves.
What do you think? Post a comment.
People should raise hell! From the US and accross the water to the UK - not too mention the other 19 nationalities who were murdered that day. Raise hell at the crime commited, the investigation and the subsequent travesty that was the Camp Zeist trial in 2001.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you, Mr Burke, and any other reader, that they acquaint themselves with the facts of the case, and more importantly the evidence against the 'convicted' Megrahi, and determine whether the man was indeed guilty of this heinous crime, or whether the real perpetrators remain free to this day?
Concentrating on stories about a man who does not answer his phone, or door, while receiving chemotherapy, is entirely missing the important issues about this case.