Because, y’know, it wasn’t Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who died today.
Perhaps one day we’ll know the truth, though.
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Wings Over Scotland
Does anybody know the truth or is there a cover up in Scotland and at Westminster?
I see that Jimmy Krankie, in the dishonourable tradition of all Scottish Labour leaders, has tried to make political capital out of Al Megrahi’s death and has even taken it upon herself to issue an apology to the victims of Lockerbie “on behalf of the people of Scotland”. I hope that when Alex Salmond makes his first public announcement on this issue that he rises above this and leaves Jimmy Krankie to fester in the sewer of political irrelevance where she belongs.
It was reported earlier today that Jimmy Krankie was critical of the referendum campaign on the grounds that while the rest of the world was dealing with the current crisis “Scotland was looking at our [sic] navel”. The thought of looking at Jimmy Krankie’s navel has put me off my food all day and, so far, I’ve been unable to find an antidote to this unspeakable affliction. Help!
How’s Ronnie Biggs keeping these days?
redcliffe62, have a read of this one.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/12732/
Elias is named as “prime suspect number one” in a Herald article from March 2012. He was also named by Christine Grahame MSP during a Holyrood debate.
The other name Talb, or “prime suspect number two”, usually crops up. He was quietly released from prison several weeks before Mergahi.
I’m just staggered by Johann Lamont’s response to this news. She has just apologised on behalf of the people of Scotland for his release. Disgusted.
I’m staggered that anyone asked Johan Lamont’s opinion on this.
Lamont wouldn’t want more powers for Scotland devolved from Westminster and from her past speeches wouldn’t be comfortable wielding them. Inexplicably now however, she does feel she has the power to speak for the Scottish people. It’s another classic own goal bodge from slavour. The depressing thing is that despite all the half-wittery, folk still vote for them.
My first thought; “You’re fucking kidding me”.
@Yesyesyes
I thought Jimmy Krankie was the Scottish tory leader.
Delurking slightly to out myself as Secretary Depute of Justice for Megrahi, I’d like to say how heartened I was to read that headline above.
It’s sad that Megrahi has died, but at least he had some time at home with his family. I just wish it had been possible to get the conviction overturned before he died, but withdrawing the appeal really made that impossible, whatever his reasons for doing that.
I think the chance of finding out for sure who did it, and exactly how it was done, was lost when the investigators decided in early 1989 not to investigate the security breaches at Heathrow, but instead to work on the assumption that the bomb had come in on the feeder flight from Frankfurt. Nevertheless I think it’s a fair bet the man going by the name of “Abu Elias” was involved somehow. Abu Talb, I’m less convinced about.
It is now possible for another interested party to apply to mount another appeal against Megrahi’s conviction. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if someone steps forward.
By the way, if anybody wants a (reasonably) quick get-up-to-speed on the basics of this, see my recent article in the Scottish Review.
http://www.scottishreview.net/MoragKerr256.shtml
Stuart, I don’t do Twitter myself but I am enjoying your ‘JohannSaysSorry’ thingy ( thread, trend or whatever it’s called on Twitter). Here are a few other humble suggestions to add to your increasingly impressive repertoire:
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of the Roman Empire for the Punic Wars and the Romans’ subjugation of Carthage
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of all Michael Jackson fans for the break-up of the Jackson Five.
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of the UK for the British atrocities in Kenya and the suppression of the Mau Mau in the 1950s
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of the people of Scotland for the fact that there’s something not quite right about the Labour MP Ian ‘The Fuhrer’ Davidson.
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of the American judicial system for its verdict in the OJ Simpson trial
From the press association:
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said: “Megrahi was convicted by a Scots court, under Scots law, of the greatest act of mass murder in Scottish history.
“Three years ago the Scottish government chose to release him on the pretext he had just three months to live. That was an insult to the victims.
“At this moment let me, on behalf of the people of Scotland, apologise to the families of all the victims of the Lockerbie bombing, for his early release.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said: “Although this is an end to a chapter of one of the worst terrorist events in Scotland there should be no celebration that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi has died. Instead it should act as a spur to establish the facts including whether crucial forensic evidence was withheld from the trial.”
How fucking dare she? The fucking gall of this woman to presume that she can “apologise” on MY behalf for something which I, and many others, agreed with. Who the fuck is she to assume the role of spokesperson for us, this woman whose idea of winning an election is somehow managing to avoid doing as badly as you thought you’d do?
I know we all tend to make fun of Willie Rennie, but just look at the difference in their reactions. Rennie is a veritable senior statesman in comparison to this stupid, reactionary, crass moron that current pretends to lead the Labour party in Scotland.
You’re an insult to my country, Lamont. Scratch that, you’re just an insult to humanity.
Or how about (and I promise I’ll stop here):
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of all Stalinists for the assassination of Trotsky.
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of The Police for too many “do-da’s” and not enough “de’s”.
Johann Lamont apologies on behalf of Kirsty Wark for her regular misuse of the phrase “As it were”.
Johann Lamont apologises on behalf of The Bay City Rollers for “Shang” rhyming with “Lang”.
Hello Morag,
Nice to have as distinguished a readership on WoS.
A quick google search shows that you like to roast Homeopaths in your spare time also…
That just gives you another 100 Kudos points in my book! 😀
annie wrote:”I’m staggered that anyone asked Johan Lamont’s opinion on this.”
“I’m staggered that anyone asked Johan Lamont’s opinion.”
Fixed it for you.
@Richie,
“I thought Jimmy Krankie was the Scottish tory leader”.
Lamont is the leader of the de facto Tories in Scotland, or, if you prefer, the Labour-Tory coalition? If this isn’t what you’re implying, then, if you imagine Lamont wearing a school cap, the resemblance is uncanny IMHO.
Sneekyboy – shooting homoeopathic fish in a barrel gets a bit tedious after the first few hundred, but yes it is rather a hobby of mine.
I too have noticed Willie Rennie’s rather good behaviour on this subject recently – better than Salmond or MacAskill’s behaviour, I have to say.
I wouldn’t hope for too much from the LibDems though. I had the misfortune to cross swords with Ming Campbell on this subject last year, and I have to report a more blinkered, closed-minded, self-satisfied idiot would be hard to find. Basically he is a lawyer and he understands these things, so mere mortals (including research scientists) can be safely written off. It was positively vomit-inducing.
@Morag
“Basically he is a lawyer and he understands these things, so mere mortals (including research scientists) can be safely written off.”
Well, they dont call him “merciless” for nothing… erm…
Morag
What behaviour by Salmond or Macaskill?
Do you mean that they treat the conviction as a conviction?
There isn’t much they can do. As officers of government they have to, no matter personal opinion on the topic
I mean, principally, the repeated assertions that “the Scottish government does not doubt the safety of the conviction”, without at any time mentioning the SCCRC report. That is going quite a bit further than simply “treating the conviction as a conviction”. It has been getting a little less hard-line in recent weeks though, probably since about the time the metallurgy results were revealed showing that the infamous fragment of PCB labelled PT/35b could not have come from one of the 20 MST-13 timer items supplied to Libya by MEBO.
However, there is also the repeated stonewalling of calls for an independent inquiry, which involve repeated untruths being told, and the legal machinations which while claiming to make it easier for the SCCRC report to be published actually made it well-nigh impossible (that’s a bit academic now of course), and the clause in the emergency Cadder legislation which was entirely unnecessary but introduced a provision for the Crown to reject a further appeal on the grounds of “certainty and finality”.
I myself believe Salmond could have got a lot of positive political capital if he had moved to open up the doubts over that conviction, After all, the SNP is about the only party that had nothing to do with either the original botched investigation or the kangaroo court at Zeist. However, he chose not to do that. David Torrance says he thinks Salmond genuinely believes Megrahi to be guilty. If so, he has been listening to his advisors who have been telling him porkies. I guess he’s a busy man….