Just a day earlier, it was simply allegation made by those who had loved ones killed on Pan Am Flight 103, that oil interest is involved in the release of Lockerbie bomber Libyan Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi. Today, Libya seems to confirm this (although Britain denied it).
Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi said Prime Minister Gordon Brown had “encouraged” the Scottish Government to take a “courageous” decision. He also praised “my friend” Brown, the Queen and Prince Andrew for their role in getting al Megrahi released on “compassionate” ground.
Embarrassingly for the British, Col Gaddafi went on to say: “This step is for the benefit of relations between Britain and Libya, and relations of personal friendship between me and them, and it will certainly be positively reflected in all fields of co-operation between the two countries.”
Colonel Gadaffi’s son Saif al-Islam added fire to this issue when he said: “In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table.” Does this mean that the $900 million oil exploration contract awarded to BP during then Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit to Libya in May 2007 had a quid pro quo in it? The British Government denied this, but Libya is contesting that.
Think about it. Is there any truth behind this oil for freedom allegation? Did the British trade off a convicted mass murderer’s freedom for a big oil contract in the name of compassion? If not, is Libya lying? How valuable is a human life anyway? Then again, how do you value human life? By barrels of oil? Whatever it is, whether there is a oil for freedom deal or not, the Lockerbie bomber is now free, and has become a hero back home. Are we living in an upside down world?
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