There is no reason to be angry about the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi’s son said on Friday, calling for improved business and trade ties with the oil-rich country.
In remarks likely to fuel anger in the United States, Seif al-Islam told Scottish newspaper The Herald that many Lockerbie victims’ families backed the release.
And he accused some politicians of trying to manipulate the issue ”to their own advantage”.
He also insisted that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds this month, was an innocent man.
”Lockerbie is history. The next step is fruitful and productive business with Edinburgh and London. Libya is a promising, rich market and so let’s talk about the future,” he said.
”There is no reason for people to be angry. Why be so angry? This is an innocent man who is dying,” he added.
Al-Megrahi, who is dying of prostate cancer, was the only person convicted of the 1988 plane bombing over the Scottish town of Lockerbie which killed 270 people. Most of the victims were American.
The Scottish government has insisted the decision to release al-Megrahi was based solely on compassionate grounds, rebutting allegations it was part of a British deal to secure trade and other concessions from oil-rich Libya.
Gadaffi’s son was quoted last week as saying that the al-Megrahi’s release was linked to trade deals with Britain — but in the Scottish broadsheet he said his comments had been misrepresented.
He said a 2007 Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) with Britain was directly linked to talks on trade and oil — but denied that al-Megrahi’s release on compassionate grounds had been part of such a deal.
”The PTA was one animal and the other was the compassionate release,” he said. ”They are two completely different animals … He was released for completely different reasons.”
Gadaffi’s son also defended the hero’s welcome given to Megrahi on his return to Libya — which triggered fury in Washington, London and Edinburgh — saying Tripoli could have organised something much more high profile.
”There was no official celebration, no guards of honour, no fireworks and no parade. We could have arranged a much better reception,” he said.
Politicians were exploiting the case for their own ends, he said.
”Most of the families of the victims in Scotland have written to us to say they are pro the decision and more than 20% of the American families say they have no objection.
”Even some of the families are in favour but different parties — politicians — may be trying to use it to their own advantage,” he added. — AFP
