Richard LeBaron to Scotland in 2009: No Lockerbie bomber release without proof he had less than 3 months to live

Selective leaks of U.S. official Richard LeBaron’s Aug. 9, 2009, letter to the “Scottish Ministry of Justice” recently suggested that the Obama administration approved of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohment al-Megrahi’s release last year.

Well, the U.S. State Department yesterday released the full text of that letter. What does it show?

The Scottish government may be the most shameful idiots on Earth.

Medical exams. Here are the key passages of U.S. charge d’affaires LeBaron’s letter to the Ministry of Justice and, by copy, to the Scottish Parliament:

- If a decision were made by Scotland to grant conditional release, two conditions would be very important to the United States and would partially mitigate the concerns of the American victims' families. First, any such release should only come after the results of independent and comprehensive medical exams clearly establishing that Megrahi's life expectancy is less than three months. The results of these exams should be made available to the United States and the families of the victims of Pan Am 103. The justification of releasing Megrahi on compassionate grounds would be more severely undercut the longer he is free before his actual death.

-- Second, the United States would strongly oppose any release that would permit Megrahi to travel outside of Scotland. We believe that the welcoming reception that Megrahi might receive if he is permitted to travel abroad would be extremely inappropriate given Megrahi's conviction for a heinous crime that continues to have a deep and profound impact on so many. As such, compassionate release or bail should be conditioned on Megrahi remaining in Scotland.

-- Again, while we are not able to endorse the early release of Megrahi under any scenario, we believe that granting compassionate release or bail under the conditions described (i.e. release with a life expectancy or less than three months and with Megrahi remaining in Scotland under supervision) would mitigate a number of the strong concerns that we have expressed with respect to Megrahi’s release.

Three months to live? The Scots last year said Megrahi had three months to live, but provided no solid evidence of that. He’s been free and alive now for 11 months, all that time pissing on the graves of the 270 people, including 11 Scots he killed in 1988.

It wasn’t until 2001 that he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders. In 2003, that sentence was reduced to 27 years. On Aug. 20, 2009, the Scots let him go. The next day, Megrahi returned to a hero’s welcome in Libya, where hateful crowds celebrated his 270 murders and laughed at the Free World, and particularly at the morons in Scotland.

It’s the shame of Scotland. For rewarding murder, that government should be dismissed and never reformed. Those officials have left the stench of stupidity and surrender that perfume and pretty words will never disguise.

Frank Warner

* * * Note: Check out how The [London] Guardian last year framed its Frequently Asked Question with answers that used the passive voice to explain that Megrahi “is not expected to live much longer.” The Guardian even suggested the world is so tired of Libya’s label as “pariah state” that it should reward Megrahi’s murders. What if Megrahi had murdered everyone at The Guardian? Would the next staff have been writing, “Free the murderer. Get over it”?

Comments

[CJW]

Well, at least the president showed his Muslim brothers some solidarity by not standing in the way of getting one of their own released for a triumphant return to Libya. It's good to have your priorities and to stick with them. And I'm sure the Muslim world looks upon America in a better light after that momentous show of good faith. Long live all Muslim murderers!!!

[George]

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi went on to live three years after his release.