22-08-2009, 05:59 PM
I had the misfortune to listen to MacAskills announcement - or more accurately his marathon, pompous, worse-than-mediocre performance - live on BBC radio. It was excruciatingly, embarrassingly bad. Claims of doughty SNP independence in the matter are frankly risible. The impression I am left with is of earnest but wide-eyed, self-important Innocents caught in an issue dominated by vastly more powerful and unscrupulous interests, namely those of the US and UK whose arm-twisting power had been made very clear to the little SNP boys playing big-boys games. There were two common US/UK interests to be secured:
1. Prevention of further scrutiny of either the original or substantial new evidence in open court.
2. The existing guilty verdict to stand.
In addition there was a relatively minor US/UK conflict: The US insisted that Megrahi should remain in prison whereas the UK required his freedom to clinch that raft of trade deals.
The UK got all three; the US got the first two - So, a bit of huffing and puffing to be gone through but hey! they can probably live with it and anyway Libya does remain saddled with the $2.1 billion compensation bill (The 290 death Iran Air/USS Vincennes shoot down merited just $132 million but then a Western life is naturally worth 20 times more than an Iranian one so I guess that's OK :puke
As for Mandelson's 'the suggestion is offensive' remark, to paraphrase Mike Smithson of Political Betting.com, in light of his form, that's as good as an admission that it was indeed understood the deals were dependent upon al Megrahi's release.
1. Prevention of further scrutiny of either the original or substantial new evidence in open court.
2. The existing guilty verdict to stand.
In addition there was a relatively minor US/UK conflict: The US insisted that Megrahi should remain in prison whereas the UK required his freedom to clinch that raft of trade deals.
The UK got all three; the US got the first two - So, a bit of huffing and puffing to be gone through but hey! they can probably live with it and anyway Libya does remain saddled with the $2.1 billion compensation bill (The 290 death Iran Air/USS Vincennes shoot down merited just $132 million but then a Western life is naturally worth 20 times more than an Iranian one so I guess that's OK :puke
As for Mandelson's 'the suggestion is offensive' remark, to paraphrase Mike Smithson of Political Betting.com, in light of his form, that's as good as an admission that it was indeed understood the deals were dependent upon al Megrahi's release.
Peter Presland
".....there is something far worse than Nazism, and that is the hubris of the Anglo-American fraternities, whose routine is to incite indigenous monsters to war, and steer the pandemonium to further their imperial aims"
Guido Preparata. Preface to 'Conjuring Hitler'[size=12][size=12]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"
Claud Cockburn
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".....there is something far worse than Nazism, and that is the hubris of the Anglo-American fraternities, whose routine is to incite indigenous monsters to war, and steer the pandemonium to further their imperial aims"
Guido Preparata. Preface to 'Conjuring Hitler'[size=12][size=12]
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"
Claud Cockburn
[/SIZE][/SIZE]