h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The problem with the Paul Foot piece, and every other speculative piece written about Lockerbie, is it was unproven in court. Journalists can say what the hell they like in cases such as these and they can weave marvelous yarns picking out the pieces of "evidence" that fits in with the story they want to tell. For me, Foot is so tainted with his deep involvement with the SWP and his concurrent hatred of capitalism, the Tories, the Americans and "The Man" in general that it's difficult to believe he could be objective.

The place to test such theories is in a court where Judges have access to far more information and two sets of lawyers vigorously test each other's evidence to destruction. On such a measure, Megrahi's case failed twice and was in the process of being pulled apart and dismissed when he dropped his appeal.

This is the guy who publically avowed never to return to Libya until his name was cleared. This is the guy who, as soon as he returned to Libya, gave interviews saying he was now going to release evidence that proved his innocence conclusively (evidence he chose not to reveal at his trial, his first appeal or his second appeal). Well, a year and a half down the line he's released no evidence whatsoever.

And we now have the Justice Minister of Libya saying Megrahi was guilty and he has proof. Yes I'd like to see the proof and I'm aware that the guy is in a position where it would be to his advantage to appear valuable to the West, but we can't ignore the fact that he was uniquely placed to give the definitive answer on this.

Incidentally, a friend of mine met Kenny MacAskill on Thursday and posed the question "Is Megrahi dead yet?". The answer was that, as of 10.30am on Wednesday he was very much alive and in good spirits although now confined to a wheelchair.

" Foot is so tainted with his deep involvement with the SWP and his concurrent hatred of capitalism, the Tories, the Americans and "The Man" in general that it's difficult to believe he could be objective."

Aha nice ad hominem. I think I flagged up to you in the email I sent oyu the report that obviously one has to always consider the authors. But when you say about "unproven in court" it kinda ingores the whole point of investigative journalism about a potential **MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE**

By very definition any time any journalist is ever investigating a potential miscarriage of justice it follows the the police AND a court have decided that someone is guilty and the journo is, well just a journo.

But it is also true that there have been loads of miscarriages of justice that have often been brought to light by the tireless work of journalists. Surely no one who is stupid could believe our police and judicial system are infallible? I have read private eye since I was a little kid (always essential toilet reading material in clan Ferrett!) and I have been amazed at how often in the fullness of time so many of the miscarriage of justice cases they report on end up in not just aquital but in someone else being convicted, and by the depsite the fact that he is a trot many of these were as a reult of work by Paul Foot. Whatever you think about his politics he was universally respect across the spectrum for his work and an investigative journalist.

The report is one about whether or not there is suspicion about the ocnviction, and should be taken in those terms. Not about what you think about a specific author or the judicial system in general but rather what happened in a specific case.

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I think what the justice minister from Libya has said is very interesting. If he is able to substantiate it then it will change my opinions. Failing that though I believe that the conviction stinks to high hell, something fish went on and whether or not Al Megrahi did it there are lots of questions about the investigation, trial and conviction.

It also seems pretty clear to me that the government were very nervous and uncomfortable about the idea of a full and proper appeal. Now that obviously doesn't mean a lot.

Who knows we shall wait and see if this guy can substantiate his claims and if he can it will change my view.

FB

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/27/lockerbie-bomber-al-megrahi-in-tripoli

Alive, alive-o!

RF

Just a couple of weeks till his 2 year anniversary. Amazing what can happen when you stop refusing treatment.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/192809-did-megrahi-manipulate-illness-to-win-freedom/

Oh, but I doubt he got out *simply* because he feigned illness.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-gaddafi-britain-lockerbie-bomber?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

What's wrong about the whole affair is if there was a problem with his conviction, the legal wheels should have been allowed to turn. The justice system has made mistakes in the past and it will again in the future, I believe it's robust enough to withstand the "shock" of a wrongful conviction. Releasing him stopped that process dead. He should certainly not have been released and all proceedings dropped.

It's quite clear that there have been politicians interfering again in the judicial process, whether for oil deals, showboating or cockamamy conspiracy theories.

I am still incredibly angry at Macaskill over this affair. I believe he was duped by Megrahi, manoeuvred by London and desperate to have Scotland viewed as a separate country in the world's eyes. In the case of the latter, releasing a mass-murderer for party political ends is inexcusable imho.

Well as a big apologist for this at the outset... I think I might have to now admit that the whole thing was a big pile of poo from the beginning.
Incidentally, now that Tripoli is a war zone what's to stop them sending in an assassination squad to clear the embarrassment...?

Not that I'm suggesting this is a good idea you understand, more that it might prove a 'convenient' opportunity for those hawks who want him dead.

A former Libyan foreign minister claims the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was discussed with the British government and linked to a contract for oil company BP.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14815440

Well all a moot point now seeing as he does now genuinely seem to be dying.

Well I'm waiting until Assad goes before I comment. I'd like to know whether it was really Syria after all.