The apotheosis of UK dhimmitude. "Jack Straw admits Lockerbie bomber's release was linked to oil," by Mary Riddell, Simon Johnson and Andrew Porter in the Telegraph, September 4 (thanks to Henrik):
Jack Straw has reignited the row over the release of the Lockerbie bomber by admitting for the first time that trade and oil were an essential part of the Government's decision to include him in a prisoner transfer deal with Libya.The Justice Secretary said he was unapologetic about including Abdelbaset al Megrahi in the agreement, citing a multi-million-pound oil deal signed by BP and Libya six weeks later.
The admission directly contradicts Gordon Brown's insistence only days ago that oil deals were not a factor in the prisoner's release.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Straw also suggested that Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, released the terminally-ill bomber on compassionate grounds earlier than the British Government would have done.
Mr Brown has been accused of putting Britain's trade interests before justice for the Lockerbie victims.
Earlier this week, the outcry forced him to say: "There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances."
Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, was freed last month by the Scottish Executive on compassionate grounds after it was said he was only months from death. Last night it emerged he has been moved out of intensive care.
In his interview today, Mr Straw admits that when he was considering in 2007 whether the bomber should be included in a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Libya, Britain's trade interests were a crucial factor.
Documents published this week showed Mr Straw originally promised that a PTA would only be reached with Libya if Megrahi was excluded. But he later caved in to Libyan demands to include Megrahi. It followed a warning from BP that a failure to include the bomber could hurt the oil giant's business interests.
When asked in the interview if trade and BP were factors, Mr Straw admits: "Yes, [it was] a very big part of that. I'm unapologetic about that... Libya was a rogue state.
"We wanted to bring it back into the fold. And yes, that included trade because trade is an essential part of it and subsequently there was the BP deal."
Mr Straw also claims today that Mr Brown had nothing to do with his change of heart over the PTA, adding: "I certainly didn't talk to the PM. There is no paper trail to suggest he was involved at all."...
So long as Big Oil, the dhimmi political elites of Western Europistan, the Bush family and Barack Arafat Saddam Hussein Osama are happy, selling Western Civilization to supremacist inbred bedouin savages is a-ok, isn't it?
[/sarcasm off]
No Jack, maybe no paper trail to PROVE it, but we know you discussed it with him.
This story makes me ill. NuLabour has really hit rock bottom.
Here's what I don't get: How can this not be the end of the political career of everyone involved?
As a British voter I am happy to say I had no part in voting in this party, ever.
If this doesn't put the final nail in their stinking coffin nothing will. They just spew forth lie after self-serving lie, they are not interested in the wellbeing of this country. Their only interest is selling out the good people of Britain for their socialist 'multicultural utopia' or 'hell on earth', depending on your point of view.
In 12 years they have destroyed Britain to such a point I am not certain that it will ever recover. Thank you Blair and Brown, thank you very much. You should both be hung, drawn and quartered as traitors.
But the freeing of al-Mugrahi, as a result of venality -- a desire to win oil exploration and development contracts in Libya, from a cruel and, perhaps more to the point, whimsical and therefore entirely unreliable despot -- is part of a long pattern.
Ever since the fall of 1973, Western governments have engaged in efforts to win the favor of the Arabs and Muslims, being led to believe, initially by the threats and blague of Sheik Yamani -- remember him? -- whose royal progress through Europe, where he deigned to accept tribute and other signs of fealty from the European leaders -- was the first visible sign of a change in attitude.
Of course it was all nonsense. The Saudis and others relied entirely on the sale of oil, and do so still. And since oil is fungible, there is no need by anyone -- ever -- to placate any oil producer. In fact, during the so-called "Arab oil embargo" the countries deemed pro-Israel, the U.S. and the Netherlands, received a greater percentage of the oil they normally received than did two countries deemed "pro-Arab," Britain and France (for more on this, see J. B. Kelly, "Arabia, the Gulf, and the West").
Furthermore, the Al-Saud, and the Al-Thani, and the Al-Nahyan, and the Al-Sabah, and all the other als ("you know me, Al") who rule assorted sheiklets and tribe-with-flags states in and around the Persian Gulf (on the left side, where the Sinus Persicus is known, carefully, as "the Arab Gulf")are all completely dependent on access to the West for modern technology, medical care, education, and the fun-fair-cum-brothel that Europe and America represent for the rich Arabs and Muslims, a place where they go to actually live a little, since their own countries, let's face it, even if you have a billion dollars, just aren't that interesting, and that's especially true for the gilded youth who cannot stand the claustrophobia of Muslim societies -- which, however and alas, does not make them any less deeply Muslim in their ultimate loyalties, and in their attitudes.
The scandal over Libya is really that there is no scandal -- the governments of much of the Western world have been behaving scandalously for more than three decades. In this effort, of course, the Arabs and other Muslims have been helped by a small army of Western hirelings. These people -- PR firms, former diplomats to the Arab countries, former intelligence agents (google "Raymond Close" for example), journalists, "experts" on Islam (google "John Esposito" and his Center), businessmen, especially arms dealers, wishing to curry favor, for obvious reasons, with the rich Arabs (see what United Technologies and the Whitney Corporation did for Saudi Arabia in Washington during the famous battle over the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia, nearly three decades ago)-- have a stake in persuading people in the corridors and offices of power that Saudi Arabia must be done favors, Saudi Arabia and other rich Arabs must be placated -- that is, its foreign policy demands must be met, in whole or in part, lest the Saudis....lest the Saudis do what? Lest the Saudis stop shoveling money to those same Western hirelings. Because Saudi Arabia has no real power over the Americans or the British or any others in the West. Nor does Libya. Nor do the sheiklets, that come in so many flavors, and which, if only the Western world were run by those who are sensible and careful to learn the exact balance of forces and who needs what, and who depends on whom, could be treated like chiclets, and chewed up, and left carelessly, as the old song has it, on the bedpost over night.
Marisol
"How can this not be the end of the political career of everyone involved?"
Oh, it will be! But not before they have managed to irrevocably signed us into the Lisbon Treaty, which will ensure that the very name of our Country is erased from world history.
Lie after lie after lie.......ad infinitum.
Sorry, "signed" should read "sign"!
The British government and the West are surely adopting the customs of the mohammedans. This new custom is that of blood money. Any crime has a monetary value to it. One commits murder and for the right price one can be absolved of the crime. Isn't that the mohammedan way?
We need an election ASAP but I don't think the Tories will be any better.
God help Britain! It is sad to see the country you love being sold out day after day.
We are in dire need of some leaders that will offer up some serious resistance to Islam in the U.K.
Geert Wilders for Prime Minister!!
O..wait.. I forgot, he isn't even allowed past our border!
What a surprise.
But there is a bright side.
At least this time the Brits got something for prostituting themselves to the mohammedans.
Usually they just do it for fun.
In his interview today, Mr Straw admits that when he was considering in 2007 whether the bomber should be included in a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Libya
......................
2007. *2007*. Al-Megrahi wasn't diagnosed with prostate cancer *until last year*.
I had thought this had to do with a misguided sense of mercy, a bit of absurd "moral superiority", and a ridiculous bid to win Muslim "hearts and minds", while they were at it.
All of those things would have been almost suicidally foolish.
But this--the venality of this is breathtaking. This is treason against Scotland, against Britain, against their allies the United States, against the West, against all sense of decency.
I hope everyone involved gains nothing but the scorn of the British people, and the swiftest possible exit from the political stage.
Seconding GravenImage.
Elderly eggs + rotten tomatoes + well-aged cabbage + the stocks.
Feathers + tar + rail.
Duckpond.
Treason trial.
But until an election is held, well: there's Guy Fawkes Day coming up in November, and I'm sure there'd be plenty of room in the wheelbarrow and then in the bonfire for effigies of traitors more contemporary and far more sinister and disastrous in their effects, than he who long ago plotted - and failed - to explode the Houses of Parliament.
What can we expect from a successive two hard left Prime Ministers?
Both were members of the communist party, both seem to have done well in their ultimate goals of destroying Britain, financially, reputation, morale, national identity, all are at an all time low.
Considering the hard left ultimately want to bring down the west it makes me think that both of these prime ministers have merely succeeded in goals they set themselves years ago.
They are traitors plain and simple, for gods sake Britain wake up and vote in the right. There will be nothing left of our country otherwise.
If true, this is a disgrace, and Straw ought to be ashamed of himself.
Where's William Wallace when you need him?!?
Back in 2003, I can remember the protests against the Iraq war - "No blood for oil!"
What an absolute disgrace. Trading a terrorist and mass murderer as part of an oil deal. And having him greeted in Liya as a hero. I feel sick.