The Lockerbie Affair is Not Over

The death of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the only person convicted for their part in the Lockerbie Bombing, is a matter of some relief. It marks the end of one part of an affair from which few of the protagonists graduate with credit. As this is Lockerbie, however, you can expect the conspiracy fires to burn for some time yet. 

As far as Megrahi’s release is concerned I continue to believe cock-up rather more probable than conspiracy. Alex Salmond was stretching his case to breaking point yesterday when he pointed out that Megrahi had at least died of the prostate cancer with which he had been diagnosed. See, he really was ill! Aye, well, nevertheless had it been supposed Megrahi could endure for another three years he would not have been released at all. 

Plainly, knowing what we now know about Megrahi’s thrawn life-expectancy it was a mistake to release him on the compassionate grounds he had perhaps only three months to live.