Jack Straw has reignited the row over the release of the Lockerbie bomber by admitting for the first time that trade and oil were an essential part of the Government’s decision to include him in a prisoner transfer deal with Libya.
The Justice Secretary said he was unapologetic about including Abdelbaset al Megrahi in the agreement, citing a multi-million-pound oil deal signed by BP and Libya six weeks later.
The admission directly contradicts Gordon Brown's insistence only days ago that oil deals were not a factor in the prisoner's release.
Mr Brown has been accused of putting Britain’s trade interests before justice for the Lockerbie victims.
Earlier this week, the outcry forced him to say: “There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances.”
In his interview today, Mr Straw admits that when he was considering in 2007 whether the bomber should be included in a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Libya, Britain’s trade interests were a crucial factor.
Documents published this week showed Mr Straw originally promised that a PTA would only be reached with Libya if Megrahi was excluded. But he later caved in to Libyan demands to include Megrahi. It followed a warning from BP that a failure to include the bomber could hurt the oil giant’s business interests.
When asked in the interview if trade and BP were factors, Mr Straw admits: “Yes, [it was] a very big part of that. I’m unapologetic about that... Libya was a rogue state.
“We wanted to bring it back into the fold. And yes, that included trade because trade is an essential part of it and subsequently there was the BP deal.”
Mr Straw also claims today that Mr Brown had nothing to do with his change of heart over the PTA, adding: “I certainly didn’t talk to the PM. There is no paper trail to suggest he was involved at all.”
Finally, slippery Jack admits what we all knew! Finally, some semblance of truth emerges from the depths of the Labour propaganda machine that Megrahi was released as part of a trade agreement with Libya to ratify an oil deal worth $900 million to BP. The diplomatic fallout from this pathetic attempt at a cover-up has done untold damage to Britain's reputation and standing in the world and that situation will have no chance of improving until this rotten, duplicitous, incompetent Labour government has been consigned to the dustbin of history, hopefully forever.
I also take exception to Straw's assertion that Snotty had nothing to do with it! Macavity was the one doing all the talking to Gaddafi at the G8 summit and reaching a final agreement with him. Straw's job, as per usual, would have been to take care of all the dirty work involved to make sure the deal was ratified.
Straw also claims their is no paper trail leading to Brown whereas others investigating this debacle have stated that the paper trail leads directly to him! I firmly believe those findings before I would believe anything this lying Labour shower say - who have continually demonstrated that they are not only economical with the truth but are unacquainted with it entirely.
I said a few posts back that I believed Said Gaddafi's version of events was the true story - it was mentioned by him in such a casual way and the explanation was so simple that it just had to be the real truth of the matter.
I know what I believe but I'll leave it at this point so you can all decide for yourselves which version of events you believe.
25 comments:
I see that Straw is still spinning merrily away on his own Sorry excuse for a blog "There was no underhand deal, no grubby arrangement, no great, or small, conspiracy. But as so often when it comes to these matters, there are always some who are loath to accept the more straightforward truth".
Straight forward Truth? New Labour? - and of course they saved the World yet again by exposing Gaddafi's evils in developing a covert and highly dangerous nuclear weapons programme. Confronted with what they knew Libya finally agreed to allow the inspectors in, and dismantle arms in return for a programme of non-proliferation, including a Prisoner Transfer Agreement. That was wholly in the interests of this country, and the whole world.......Must we thank New labour yet again for saving humanity?
Fantasy Island! - Socialist bollocks!!! New Labour scum never fight themselves but always win, by despicable duplicitous methods. Winston Churchill's words: - "An empty taxi pulled up outside number ten and Attlee got out" are ringing in my ears, every time one of these Socialist nonentities speak these days.
It is disgusting that they would sell out the memory of so many souls for a better deal on oil. Disgusting.
Agree with Opus above, truly disgusting....
Yes, It sickens me too....
That this bunch of insensitive pricks would let such a bloody monster go free for oil. That really is bloody oil. I think an all out boycott against BP is needed, also.
Disgusting is what these bastards do best, Opie, from sex education for five-year-olds to every other back-stabbing, duplicitous, double-crossing, dangerous exploit exposed in some of our newspapers, (the ones they try to smear and ridicule), and our own blogs where we can be even more forthright about the Stalinist scum!
Truly despicable, LCR, I wish them nothing but harm!
Even pricks are more useful than these gangsters, Teresa. They have blood on their hands almost from the day and hour they were first elected. I hope they burn in Hell!
Wow, things are changing fast a Whitehall. Denials are only lasting weeks rather than years. Transparency is just around the corner and up the lane.
Straw had no choice but to admit to what is already evident, although his 'truth' is only partial - seeking to divert the conversation to a comfort zone.
His diversion raises the question: what is the government eager to hide, that is not already in the public domain.
Excellent post, BS.
And will he resign? It is doubtful. Straw and company love their careers far more than the country and the promises it was meant to keep.
BS, I've still to return to my theme of The taliban receiving our cash to buy our weapons to kill our troops. I think GV's post on Man of Straw touches on a big arms deal with Libya for a manufacturer in Wheat Ears own patch. Coincidence, of course. Labour, a bunch of self serving,hypocritical glue sniffers (from the stuff they superglue themselves to office with) and arseholes? No way, surely. Not in Government? Impossible?
Oh give it up all you little moralists and dreamers - this is Real Politic - this is how it works. If the truth is unpalatable go read some fairy tales.
Scunnert,
Do you have something against morality? Just accepting things is a very dangerous thing. What if we had just accepted the evils of Hitler during WWII? Where would we all be right now. And, all the countries? No. We must stand up and fight against evil in the world, and STOP accepting this moral relativistic attitude in today's society. If we accept evil in politics, than we are in effect saying what these politicians are doing is OK, and its NOT. Stop being a weakling and stand up for something, rather than just simply sitting back and doing nothing and being willing to ACCEPT anything.
Teresa - the US scooped up all the Nazi scientists they could and left the Apparatchiks in place to commit terrorist atrocities - just Google Gladio.
That there have been no Labourist resignations over this humiliation for Britain is, in itself, scandalous.
What the hell is wrong with our country? (Where to begin...)
The truth is clear, Nickie, I don't even know why they try these ridiculous cover-ups anymore.
Thanks, Fausty, the fact he still tries to deflect the flak from Brown is ludicrous and I'm sure what we know is only the tip of the iceberg.
None of this lot will ever resign, Votr. In the case of Straw, he will probably step down at the next election before he loses his now unsafe seat but I doubt he'd want to go back into opposition anyway. The rest of them will have to be forced out at the polls.
Nothing surprises me about "New" Labour anymore, OR, I'll look forward to your next post on the subject and in the meantime I'll go and check out GV's "Man of Straw".
It's not necessarily the Real Politik I object to, Scunnert, it's being treated like children and spun Labour's duplicitous fairy tales that I find unacceptable. If Brown had spoken with the people who matter and then told the public the truth at the outset, instead of hiding away and fabricating stories with Mandelson and Straw, we wouldn't be in the same mess as we are now.
Hi again, Teresa:
I think my reply just now to Scunnert's comment pretty much covers your point bastard Labour don't do morals! I see also that Obarmy is introducing the "race hate" ploy just as Labour did here - it will be used as a weapon as it has been here!
Again, Scunnert, scientists tend to work for whoever is waving the guns or offering them a reprieve from execution.
Where to start indeed, D? These bastards have NO integrity and will cling on to their salaries until the last possible moment. I have noticed, however, that moves are afoot to stop them all being automatically elevated the Lords - thank fuck for that or it would end up more corrupt than the Commons and stuffed full of Labour cronies to scupper the Tories!
Apologies Teresa and BS - I was being provocative. But this the reality of politics - it's amoral. Whether Kenny's compassionate release of Mr Megrahi fits the mold I don't know - I only live in hope.
It certainly is, Scunnert, but there are points raised by being provocative that wouldn't otherwise get mentioned at all.
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