I have just two words to say about this -- Bollocks

Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill

There is a great flap going on over the so-called “compassionate” release of the Lockerbie airline bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. Scotland’s Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, gave a gushy nonsensical speech about Scottish values of compassion and mercy being the motivating factor in the government’s decision to release al Megrahi to go home and die from cancer in Libya.

One thing I know about politicians is that the ability to lie with a completely straight face is a skill one must have to succeed in politics.

The real reason is that al-Megrahi probably never should have been convicted in the first place. The prosecutor’s case against him was very weak. Even the relatives of the victims of the bombings who attended the trial doubted the truth of the verdict. Since that time his defense team has been assembling further proof that some of the incriminating evidence may have been fabricated or planted.

Scotland didn’t release him for any compassionate reason, but because the pending appeal would likely cause politically embarrassing issues for the government.

In politics, one must always ask the question, who benefits from this decision? Clearly, it is the Scottish government that can now sweep this whole mess under the carpet.