It's A Deal!

The Government of Britain solemnly declared it had no hand in releasing Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the former Libyan intelligence agent convicted of conspiring to bomb Pan Am flight 103, and in its enterprising success, killing 270 innocent people. The Government of Britain is aghast at the early release of this convicted terrorist. The Government of Britain strenuously denies all rumours of complicity in Mr. al-Megrahi's release.

It is oh so tediously inconvenient when nosy reporters rummage about where they should not, looking for incriminating evidence of wrong-doing where there is obviously none to be had. Finding nothing, they then go about inventing slanderous accusations. And there is little doubt that the Government of Britain is outraged at this state of affairs.

This honest administration would no more press for the release of a mass murderer in exchange for trade and investment advantage than they would voluntarily give up governance. Politics is such a dirty business, is it not? Well, perhaps not politics, but the people who spy on government and politicians, always looking to find fault with honest, patriotic elected officials.

Who, after all, have nothing but the best interests of their country at heart. And the best interests of the country obviously lie in doing trade with a promising source, enriching both corporate interests and government coffers. Which, by the way, encourages voters to bring back the scoundrels - er, the deserving and most honourable members of parliament. Who do their best, their very best, lest that be forgotten.

Coincidentally to the vast celebration for the 40th anniversary of a military coup in Libya, seating Col. Moammar Gadhafi in position for the rest of his natural life, Britain benefits hugely, and isn't that a mystery? For starters, a brass band from Wales will be attending, and they don't see why they shouldn't; after all they'd agreed to perform well before the release of the Libya-honoured Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi.

And just incidentally the monumentally-sized tent and stage being built for the grand event has been undertaken by Atlantic Enterprise, a British special-events company. No fewer than 15 giant Antonov planes are flying in 7,250 tonnes of equipment. And, of course, (sshhh!), very lucrative British investments in Libyan oil and gas have been signed - isn't that coincidentally amazing?

Mind, it was Scotland's decision, and Scotland's only, that resulted in the release of Mr. al-Megrahi. Despite the unfortunately-leaked ministerial notes that appear to implicate UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw. Who emphatically denies, nonetheless, that he instructed Kenny MacAskill to conveniently release Mr. al-Megrahi, as an enabling mechanism for the signing off of an oil exploration contract for British Petroleum.

For as some scoundrel wrote: "I had previously accepted the importance of the al-Megrahi issue to Scotland and said I would try to get an exclusion for him on the face of the agreement...The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests for the UK, I have agreed that in this instance the [PTA] should be in the standard form and not mention any individual". Oh. Dear. Me.

Of course there is always the rumour that Mr. al-Megrahi did a huge favour for Moammar Gadhafi. Surrendering himself to justice in the place of others, and forbearing to give mention of the source of the instructions to sacrifice 280 living souls to someone's plan to present Libya's serious interest in fomenting terrorism at the time. A situation certainly known to some within Great Britain, it would appear.

But a useful staging to assuage the anger of the United States over the loss of almost two hundred of its citizens, let alone Britain's own. The circumstances in which this man was held in prison at Greenock must surely have been unusual, since his prison lodgings were described as luxurious by the Glasgow Herald: "with his own sitting room, kitchen, Arabic TV, video, computer, bedroom, office and en suite toilet."

And it must have been reassuring to the convicted terrorist-in-lieu to know that his wife was moved into a five-bedroom house in Glasgow, which she shared with their five children, a gift by Gadhafi. And that all of the children attended schools and colleges in and around the Glasgow area, mysteriously entitled to a free education thanks to the Government of Britain, until 2005.

Wrongdoing? Perish the thought!