Ghaddafi's Son Says Britain Cut a Deal: Energy for Terrorist Megrahi

by Maggie at Maggie's Notebook

Saif al-Islam is the son of Muammar Ghaddafi, the leader of the Libyan people and head of the welcome wagon for convicted Libyan terrorist, known as the Lockerbie bomber, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi.

Locker Bomber Release Deal?

Saif al-Islam is praising the Brits for making an energy deal that allowed 57-year old Megrahi to come home to Tripoli. Colonel Gaddafi is praising Queen Elizabeth. The UK is a tad upset.

Pan Am flight 103 exploded over the town of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988, killing 270 people, including 11 on the ground. Megrahi is reported to have lived in relative luxury for a few of his short 8 years in prison, while housed in the Barlinnie prison in Glasgow:

Megrahi was segregated in a high-security area dubbed "Gaddafi's Cafe", where there was said to be a "sitting room" and kitchen where Halal food was specially prepared.

His wife and children are said to have moved to the "outskirts of Glasgow so they could visit him.
Makes one wonder how they got back to Tripoli. We saw Meghrai in his Nike hat and jog suit walk the stairs to board Ghaddafi's personal airplane, but no family was in sight. The Lockerbie victims arrived home in caskets.

Saif is the second oldest of Ghaddafi's seven sons. He is fluent in English, German and French. This report says he has a PhD:

"in governance and international relations from the London School of Economics and is also said to be an architect with his own agency in Tripoli, having studied architecture in Vienna.

UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is in the spotlight. Sources say he met with Saif al-Islam one week before Megrahi was released. Mendelson says there was only a "fleeting conversation about the prisoner," but Ghaddafi upped the tension:

Mr Gaddafi told Libyan TV his case was raised during talks over oil and gas and reportedly claimed that the issue had been raised repeatedly by Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair.

"In all commercial contracts, for oil and gas with Britain, (Megrahi) was always on the negotiating table," Mr Gaddafi told Libya's Al Mutawassit channel.

The U.S. was very quiet about Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber's release. There were no strong statements from the Oval Office until the deed was done and the celebrations began - the hugs, the hand kissing, the cheering crowds. President Obama was "disturbed." It would be unbearable to find that America cut a deal of any kind.

As Jihad Watch points out, this is one more reason for the urgent need for energy independence.