Return to: Home

Senator may bring Lockerbie inquiry to the UK

Published 30 July 2010

Menendez says he may take up witness offers to be questioned.

Abdelbaset Megrahi was released from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds

US Senator Robert Menendez has said that he may send investigators to Britain as part of a congressional inquiry into the release of Abdelbaset Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.

Mendendez's announcement, made on the BBC's Newsnight, comes after Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill and former UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw both refused to testify in the US.

Meanwhile Tony Hayward, the chief executive of beleaguered oil giant BP, who some suspect of helping to engineer Megrahi's release, has also said he will not take part in the hearing.

The inquiry is set to focus on whether BP put pressure on the British government to release Megrahi in order to secure lucrative contracts with the Libyan government.

Get the full magazine for just £1 a week with a trial subscription. PLUS get a free copy of Penny Red: Notes from the New Age of dessent by Laurie Penny

Post this article to

10 comments from readers

dave, Liverpool
30 July 2010 at 08:48

It's funny how the greed for oil has now bitten the USA twice on the arse lately, the arrogance of these senators who think they can summon politicans from a sovereign state or waltz in to other countries demanding interegation. Go **** yourselves you jumped up pigs.

YoungSwanseaTrot
30 July 2010 at 12:42

I find it incredible that US senators think they can order our politicians around as if they were inferior to them. I also find the leading senator who was interviewed by News Night last night as totally hypocritical - they wont come to any of our inquiries (I.E the Iraq War Inquiry) so why should we be expected to go to theirs!

Gary, Belfast
30 July 2010 at 17:29

Totally agree with Dave, I live in N Ireland and for decades the Americans raised money and sent it to the IRA who killed hundreds of British Soldiers on the streets of NI. Furthermore they refused to extradite IRA murders to the UK to stand trial, compare that to young McKinnon, cameron should grow some and tell the yanks to get lost, The UK should forget the US as allies they are only backstabbers, look at how they helped dismantle British Interests after WWII, treacherous indeed.

Robert, Belfast
30 July 2010 at 23:55

I agree with the previous correspondents, I also grew up in Belfast and saw the I R A atrocities, and heard the condemnation of the army and policeforce by American politicians. Americans conveniantly forget that the war in Europe started in 1939 and if Britain had not stood up to Hitler and his allies America would have been in a very different world now.

Al Campbell
31 July 2010 at 01:46

Gosh, those Congressional elections are really making these senators nervous aren't they? A bit of publicy for them, they're hoping, could make them popular amongst the American public so they can keep their seats in the senate. Pathetic.

Mind you America's record of handling terrorists is not as clean as they want us to believe.

In 2005 Venezuela sought extradition from America of one of the most notorious Latin American terrorists, a guy named Luis Posada Carriles, to face charges for the bombing of a Cubana airliner, which killed more than seventy people . Posada had escaped from a Venezuelan prison into America where he was hired by C.I.A coverts to direct the resupply operation for the Nicaraguan contras from El Salvador.

In the late 80s, Orlando Bosch, another notorious international terrorist and associate of Posada, was released from a Venezualan prison into America with the help of the US ambassador to Venezuela. He was detained in the states but then freed and all charges were dropped. It is alleged that George Bush I pardoned him after pressure from a democratic senator. Bosch resides safely in the United States.

One word - HYPOCRISY

dave, Liverpool
31 July 2010 at 14:37

Totally agree Al, but Hypocrits with giant heads. I don't believe for one minute that the release of the Lockerbie bomber had anything to do with BP but more to do with how far left Britain has become. Senators whipping up a storm about ' BRITISH PETROLEUM' will go down well with American voters even though BP is somewhere around 40% full of American investment, thats how blinkered they are. What's the difference anyway in releasing a murderer for the sake of oil and bombing millions for the sake of oil?

Buckskins
31 July 2010 at 21:00

What rubbish, NORAID is a charitable organization that helps out widows of slain IRA soldiers. They have been thoroughly investigated by the US government. If you Northern Irish wish to be British I suggest you pack your stuff and thumb a ride to the ferry. England is not hard to find. British soldiers were fair targets.

Gary, Belfast
31 July 2010 at 21:55

"NORAID is a charitable organization that helps out widows of slain IRA soldiers. "

What IRA Soldiers ?, the IRA are recognized the World over as terrorists.

"British soldiers were fair targets."..what about all the women and children. ? were they fair targets as well ?,are you an American ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/...

The 2nd bomb was designed to Kill Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. Some 'Soldiers' eh ? would you agree that these "soldiers" should be prosecuted for war crimes ?

BTW Yes I am British and Im happy to stay where I am thank you.

Charles Norrie
01 August 2010 at 07:45

No one in the US Government wants to spend any time on Lockerbie. For the simple reason that hat atrocity was a negotiated deal between the US and Iran to give Iran its demanded reprisal (or revenge) for the downing of IR-655 the Iranian Airbus.

No other attribution - Libya, the PPSF, PFLP GC, weather, exploding missiles or UFOs (seriously put to me once) makes any sense.

I have been working on this for 20 years and I have a fully formed and researched (a far is possible with the public data available.

If anyone reads this at NS, please get in touch with norriecb [at] gmail [dot] com, and you will get a scoop for free.

No publishing outlet has yet taken it on.

Charles Norrie

Buckskins
01 August 2010 at 22:23

Gary, did I say killing civilians was ok? That is the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter. Just like your murderous British army. If you are happy to be British then get out of Ireland. You are the descendent of Scottish serfs that were and still are lackies for the English. You have no business in Ireland. I don't care where you were born, get out while you can. You don't belong in Ireland.