Lockerbie, Again...

This story just keeps getting worse and worse. Two new factoids today.

First, it appears that the medical opinions asserting that Al Megrahi would likely die within 3 months were bought and paid for by Libya. On Al Megrahi's initial examination, doctors gave him 10 months or more to live. That just wouldn't do, you see, because Scottish law allows release on compassionate grounds only when the prisoner has 3 months or less to live. This was not an obstacle to the Libyans, who simply found more, er, understanding doctors. For a fee, of course. Read all the disgusting details here.

Second, we discover today that the U.K. government has been keeping Obama informed about Al Megrahi's release every step of the way. There were no surprises for Obama. And there were no vehement protests or objections beforehand – those came only when the Obama administration was surprised by the American reaction to Al Megrahi's release. Read all the despicable details here.

Sidenote: all the investigative reporting seems to be coming out of England. Note to U.S. newspapers: have you noticed that the U.K. newspapers are actually making money, while (as we, at least, have noticed) you're going broke? Do ya think that maybe, just maybe, the fact that the U.K. papers actually do some real reporting might have something to do with it? Just sayin'...

I have a little vignette that keeps running through my mind, wherein someone in the White House receives a call from 10 Downing. The caller (presumably a Prime Minister's functionary) says “Good morning, chaps! Just wanted to let you know that we're about to release the Lockerbie bomber, that Al Megrahi fellow. Heads up, as you say.” And the response is something like “Top of the day to you, George. Thanks for letting us know. We have no problem with that.”

It's that last bit that is really gnawing at me. What sort of American would think that releasing Al Megrahi to the Libyans was ok?

Houston, we have a problem...