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Gadhafi Son to Bomber: We Cut Deal With UK for You

Business sec. eyed over ties to younger Gadhafi

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 23, 2009 9:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – Even as Scotland insists its decision to release the Lockerbie bomber was a compassionate one, a conversation between Moammar Gadhafi’s son and the bomber suggests some backroom wheeling and dealing, the Sunday Telegraph reports. A transcript has Saif Gadhafi telling the bomber, “You were on the table in all commercial, oil, and gas agreements that we supervised in that period. You were on the table in all British interests when it came to Libya.”

Questions are swirling over the connection between business secretary Lord Mandelson, who denies claims of such a deal, and the younger Gadhafi. “The evidence is mounting that there was far more to the release of Megrahi than simply a judicial decision based on compassion,” said a British MP. Downing Street said last night that PM Gordon Brown and the elder Gadhafi had talked about the release at last month's G8 summit.

Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who was found guilty of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, left, and son of the Libyan leader Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, right, gesture on arrival in Tripoli, Libya, Aug. 20.
Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who was found guilty of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, left, and son of the Libyan leader Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, right, gesture on arrival in Tripoli, Libya, Aug. 20.   (AP Photo)
On Aug. 20, 2009, Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who was found guilty of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, center, is helped down the airplane steps on his arrival at an airport in Tripoli, Libya.
On Aug. 20, 2009, Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who was found guilty of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, center, is helped down the airplane steps on his arrival at an airport in Tripoli, Libya.   (AP Photo)
Peter Mandelson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, Oct. 3, 2008.
Peter Mandelson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, Oct. 3, 2008.   (AP Photo/ Alastair Grant)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Islander
Aug 24, 2009 3:59 AM CDT
That would be the law regarding compassion in commuting prison sentences on grounds of terminal illness. If the guy did it, do you think he did it on his own? Do you think he did it without orders from the Libyan Government - thiswould be the same Libyan Government that, a few years previously, was responsible for shooting a policewoman in London, and for which nobody was ever charged, (Diplomatic Immunity - you know -another inconvenient law)the same dictator that G8 leaders were happy to be seen with in Italy this year. According to the West, Gadaffi's one of the Good Guys now. Doesn't mean I like it.
MarkF
Aug 24, 2009 3:28 AM CDT
First of all, the "bomber" was a scapegoat used to hide the fact that the US and UK Government would not properly persue the real culprits of the Lockerbie bombing for fear of losing their economic intrest deals with libya. And since we are not a Government who brutally tortures and murders its prisoners and since he has about a month to live, we let him go. Go ahead and boycot all things Scottish, , turn of your TV,, unplug your phone, purge all Penicillin based antibiotics from your system, ect, ect , ect. You done that yet?, nope did not think so.
cochiserocks
Aug 24, 2009 2:32 AM CDT
I think the whole family (the bomber is a distant cousin of Gadhafi) is nuts. The guy thanked everyone from Tony Blair to Prince Andrew for their 'help' - The Prime Minister has been forced to publish a letter he wrote asking them to play the whole thing low key - so either the convicted murderer and terrorist got immoral and unethical help, but Gadhafi and his son are so very very stupid that they think their thanks will help their new 'friends'. Or this is a seriously smart man made sh*t storm and we're being really really dumb by contributing to his cunning plan - Unfortunately - I wish I could say I think the latter - but given the British historic propensity for puting ££££'s and 'The National Interest' in front of their citizens rights or the rule of law - I think their is a strong chance the process of expedited in some way. If this is true, and a deal WAS done, then it is a sad day for Britain.

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