The British government decided it was “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom” to make Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, eligible for return to Libya, leaked ministerial letters reveal.
Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal had hit difficulties. These were resolved soon afterwards.
The letters were sent two years ago by Jack Straw, the justice secretary, to Kenny MacAskill, his counterpart in Scotland, who has been widely criticised for taking the formal decision to permit Megrahi’s release.
The correspondence makes it plain that the key decision to include Megrahi in a deal with Libya to allow prisoners to return home was, in fact, taken in London for British national interests.
When we let Libya come in from the cold and avoid military or other sanctions over their past support for terrorism, we were supposed to flip them. Remember, diplomatic efforts as an alternative to war are supposed to be just another aspect of the Long War against Islamo-fascism.
The British appear to be unclear on the concept and have themselves flipped a bit.
Khaddafi isn't a born-again good guy. He's a thug who was worried. Worried enough to abandon his nuclear and other WMD programs and lay low from supporting terrorists.
Now he isn't so worried. I'd worry about him flipping back if this is how we wage a nuanced non-military foreign policy against our jihadi enemies and their state supporters and sympathizers.
