Anger at welcome for mass murderer in Libya

NY Times:

British and Scottish officials joined the United States on Friday in criticizing the hero’s welcome Libya choreographed for Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only person convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, a day after the Scottish government ordered his early release from prison on compassionate grounds.

...
Actually the Scots say it could have been worse.

LIBYA scaled back planned celebrations for the return of the Lockerbie bomber following representations from the UK and American governments, it has emerged.
Thousands of young men who were bussed into the airport to welcome Megrahi were told to leave by the authorities ahead of his arrival, leaving only around 300 to applaud his appearance on the airplane steps.

It has also emerged that a Libyan TV channel connected to Col Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, which had been granted exclusive rights to air Megrahi's arrival live, did not carry the broadcast.

Instead, it carried short clips of him coming down the airliner's stairs hours later.

Neither Megrahi nor Seif Gaddafi – who escorted him on the flight – appeared later at a previously planned rally at Tripoli's Green Square, a sweeping plaza where thousands of chairs had been set up.

...
The Scots appear to be scrambling to explain their bad judgment in releasing this mass murderer. It will probably shame their government for years to come. It has to be one of the most absurd expressions of compassion in the history of the world.

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