Summary
WHY is the British Prime Minister, who has been so free with his opinions on everything from English cricket to Susan Boyle, so tight- lipped about the Scottish Justice Secretary's decision to free the only person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing? The answer is that Gordon Brown is a politician firmly wedged between a rock and a hard place. That is why, during his first encounter with the world's media since breaking his holiday to meet the Israeli Prime Minister, he restricted his comments to how "angry" and "repulsed" he had been by the celebrity welcome, complete with waving saltires, afforded Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi at Tripoli Airport. Outwith Libya, who was not?
The nature of Mr Brown's bind is self-evident. If he condemns Kenny MacAskill's decision, he risks damaging relations with Libya and Alex Salmond would be quick to condemn him for interfering in what is a devolved matter. Conversely, if he condones it, he will draw to himself the fire currently directed at the SNP administration at Holyrood and further enrage the Americans. Yesterday's revelations about CIA interrogation techniques under George W Bush suggest the US has little to teach Britain about justice, but there is nothing to be gained by alienating our main ally.See the full content of this document
Extract
Brown's Silence Prime Minister Is in a Bind Over Megrahi
Mr Brown is right to repeat that this was a quasi-judicial decision that could be made only ...
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