Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Eretz Nehederet, humor, LATMA
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:44 PM
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Here's Soccer Dad's Middle East Media Sampler for Monday, May 21. 1) Jerusalem the panoramic
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has a remarkable website devoted to Jerusalem centering around an annotated panoramic photograph of Jerusalem. (h/t Elder of Ziyon)
Of particular interest is a project titled, Jerusalem in International Diplomacy, by Dr. Dore Gold. The executive summary is here.The July 2000 Camp David Summit was clearly a diplomatic failure. It resulted largely, though not exclusively, from the insurmountable gap between Israel and the PLO over the issue of Jerusalem. Prime Minister Ehud Barak and President Bill Clinton insisted on holding the summit apparently assuming that the diplomatic gaps between the parties could ultimately be bridged. Were they equipped with a more accurate assessment of the positions of the principal parties on the Jerusalem question, they might have anticipated that the summit would not succeed. For the PLO, the various Clinton proposals were a non-starter. But for Israel, as well, Barak's readiness to even consider concessions on Jerusalem led to the collapse of parliamentary support for his government, a massive public demonstration against the U.S. proposals, and finally, when combined with Palestinian violence, Barak's loss in national elections by an unprecedented majority to Ariel Sharon.Gerald Steinberg and Naftali Balanson explain what the JCPA is fighting in How the EU-NGO alliance destabilizes Jerusalem.
Israel suffered from a more fundamental diplomatic failure of its own, beyond its misreading of the Palestinian position on Jerusalem. The structure of the peace process, whereby Israel has focused all its energies on an abstract, albeit worthy, goal of peace, while the Palestinians' diplomatic energies were concentrated on a concrete goal of achieving a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem, inevitably led the negotiations in the direction of the party with the more articulated objective -- namely, the Palestinian goal of sovereignty in Jerusalem. This diplomatic asymmetry led to a clear-cut erosion of Israel's own claims.
Yet, a careful reading of the historical record of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem and an understanding of the international legal rights of the Jewish people to their historical capital might have led negotiators to take a stronger stand on behalf of Israel's rights in the city. This study was conceived with the purpose of providing both a more realistic understanding of the actual positions of the principal parties to the Jerusalem question and a deeper appreciation of the rights Israel possesses in Jerusalem for any future negotiations.It is bad enough that the EU funds a group whose leaders promote “one-state” polices and use demonizing rhetoric that incites hatred – the fact that this becomes the basis for policy is even worse.The Jewish Press takes you on a tour of Ir David. (The City of David)
While the EU/NGO reports are filled with false or misleading allegations targeting Israeli policy in Jerusalem, other basic information that contradicts this bias is entirely missing. Thus, there is no discussion of the role of the Jerusalem municipality in providing building permits for Arab residents of Jerusalem at a level comparable to Jewish residents; in opening post offices, public clinics, and classrooms; in inaugurating the light rail systems, which serves both Arab and Jewish neighborhoods; and with respect to other programs for the benefit of Arab neighborhoods.
The EU, again following the lead of these fringe NGOs that are their “advisors” on Jerusalem affairs, also erased the central security context and the historical background. For instance, both EU documents regarding Jerusalem assert an “institutional and leadership vacuum in East Jerusalem created by the prolonged closure of those institutions, in particular that of the Orient House.” They erase the background to the Orient House closure in August 2001, when, as part of Israel’s defense against mass terror, including the horrific Sbarro pizzeria bombing in the center of Jerusalem, Israeli security forces found stolen weapons in the Orient House and documents proving that Palestinian officials had been operating illegally from the building.
2) The "debate" over Megrahi
The New York Times had a headline Libyan’s Death Brings Up Debate Over His Release. The article has precious little about the debate over the convicted Lockerbie bomber's release three years ago; it's more about doubts of Megrahi's incarceration - or guilt. In the debate over his release, the New York Times (on its op-ed page anyway) came down in favor of the release by allowing Saif al-Islam Qaddafi to argue (probably falsely) that Megrahi received No Hero's Welcome in Libya. Though about a year and a half ago the New York Times finally discovered that the Qaddafis were not nice people; it wasn't that long ago it allowed the family to avail itself of precious op-ed space.
3) Why there's no Arab spring
Shlomo Avineri (via Honest Reporting, Daily Alert):Simply put, a rosy outlook for countries like Egypt cannot be assumed on the basis of exhilarating images on CNN or Al Jazeera, or the fact that masses of young, well-educated, English-speaking men and women are connected through Facebook and Twitter. The great majority of Egyptians were not in Tahrir Square, and many of them lack not only access to online social networks, but also electricity and safe drinking water. Democracy and free speech are not at the top of their agenda.Jonathan Schanzer and Steven Miller:
Egypt's silent majority also identifies with the authenticity represented by various Islamic groups, while principles of democracy and civil rights seem to them to be imported Western abstractions. So the tremendous victory of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Al-Nour Party in Egypt — as well as that of Ennahda in Tunisia — should come as no surprise.However, the Saudi royal family was not content to simply enforce its draconian media laws as a means to prevent unrest in the kingdom. In an attempt to buy the loyalty of his subjects, King Abdullah pledged more than $35 billion to the Saudi people upon returning from his three-month convalescence in Morocco on February 23rd. This package included increased funding for housing, studying abroad, and social security. State awarded its employees a 15 percent salary increase, and infused $10.7 billion into the country's development fund, which offers interest-free loans for Saudis to build homes, marry, or start small businesses. The measures were further designed to alleviate unemployment, believed to be around 40 percent for Saudis between 15 and 24.[5]
These measures conspicuously lacked any indication that the king was considering the political reforms that masses were calling for around the region. The government proved as much when it arrested founding members of the Islamic Umma Party, a self-professed "moderate" party that blatantly flaunted the state's long-standing ban on political parties.[6]
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Nevertheless, based on the relative calm that prevailed, the financial package appeared to allay some of the concerns of Saudi citizens, at least for the time being. On the other hand, they may have been afraid of protesting due to the expected response of the Saudi state.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Arab spring, Egypt, Jerusalem, Middle East Media Sampler, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Royal Family, Soccer Dad
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:25 PM
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Abdelbasset al-Megrahi, who was convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, has died in Tripoli, Libya. Unfortunately for his victims, he died a lot more peacefully than they did (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).His brother Abdulhakim said on Sunday that Megrahi's health had deteriorated quickly and he died at home in Tripoli.I wonder if he's really dead.
He told the AFP news agency that Megrahi died at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
The BBC's Rana Jawad, who is outside Megrahi's home in Tripoli, says family members are making preparations to receive guests paying their condolences.
Last month, Megrahi's son said his father had been taken to hospital for blood transfusions.
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There have been calls for him to be returned to jail in the UK or tried in the US.
But shortly after they toppled Colonel Gaddafi, Libyan rebel leaders said they would not extradite Megrahi or any other Libyan.
Our correspondent says that since the fall of Gaddafi, more Libyans are expressing the view that whatever happened at Lockerbie was bigger than just Megrahi, and he may have been used as a scapegoat by the regime.
In his last interview, filmed in December 2011, Megrahi said: "I am an innocent man. I am about to die and I ask now to be left in peace with my family."
He had previously claimed he would release new information about the atrocity but little new has emerged.
Megrahi had rarely been seen since his return to Tripoli, but he was spotted on Libyan television at what appeared to be a pro-government rally in July 2011.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the public appearance confirmed that a "great mistake" was made in releasing him from jail.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Arab terrorism, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:27 PM
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Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Lockerbie, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:50 AM
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The cancer-stricken former Libyan intelligence officer may be the last man alive who knows precisely who in the Libya government authorized the 1989 bombing which killed 270 people, CNN noted.I'd bet on Muammar Gadhafi himself.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Arab terrorism, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103, Scotland
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:49 PM
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Libyan rebels are refusing to extradite Pan Am 103 bomber Abdelbasset Megrahi. Once again, it's claimed that he's dying. With the recent overthrow of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have called for al-Megrahi to be sent back to prison.After the last time, why should anyone believe this?But the National Transitional Council, the rebel movement that toppled Gadhafi, announced Sunday that it won't allow the dying al-Megrahi to be extradited.
"We will not give any Libyan citizen to the West," NTC Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi said.Al-Megrahi lived far longer than expected. He made a public appearance with now-fugitive Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi in July, confined to a wheelchair. He always maintained his innocence.
With the fall of Tripoli to the rebels, his care has been left up to his son and his mother.
"There is no doctor. There is nobody to ask. We don't have any phone line to call anybody," Elmegarhi said.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Libyan regime change, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:43 AM
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One of the worst moments of the last years of Muammar Gadhafi's reign was the return to Libya of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbasset al-Megrahi.
A US Congressional inquiry into the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbasset al-Megrahi says there was strong political pressure on the Scottish government to free him.There's a different video at that link which I could not embed. But here's a Scottish video that discusses the story.
It also casts doubt on the competence of the doctors who examined Megrahi.
"Commercial and economic considerations trumped... our global fight against terrorism," said Senator Bob Menendez.
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The senators' report states that Scottish authorities examining the former Libyan intelligence officer relied on "false" and "flawed" medical prognosis that may have been influenced by a doctor hired by the Libyan government.
Mr Menendez, along with three other senators, launched the investigation after officials from Scotland, the UK and BP did not testify at a Senate foreign relations committee hearing, he was scheduled to chair in July.
"This was a case in which commercial and economic considerations trumped the message of our global fight against terrorism," said Mr Menendez.
He added: "We have to make it impossible that anything like this injustice takes place again."
Mr Menendez is set to unveil the report - Justice Undone: The Release of the Lockerbie Bomber - at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
Well, Megrahi is still alive, in a wheelchair but well enough to have been shown on Libyan television attending a pro-Qaddafi rally just last month. If Obama was sincere in his regret [of Megrahi's release], perhaps the time is right to seize Megrahi and finally win justice for the American victims of Lockerbie.The odds of Obama ordering Megrahi's arrest without the consent of both Britain and NATO (if not the UN as well) are not good. But if we're really lucky, maybe he'll ask the British or the Scottish to do the job for him. That's leading from behind.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Arab terrorism, Lockerbie, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:25 PM
2 comments
THE medical advice which led to the release of the Lockerbie bomber has been shown to be "pretty much worthless", William Hague said as he re-opened the row over the decision to free Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi two years ago.But the man who ordered Megrahi released still thinks it was the right thing to do.
The Foreign Secretary was responding to fresh video footage taken of Megrahi attending what appeared to be a government rally in support of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi earlier this week.
Mr Hague said the footage showed once again that the decision to let the bomber free was "a great mistake", as US relatives of the Lockerbie victims said they were "outraged" by the sight of Megrahi being used as a propaganda tool.
But Mr MacAskill stood by his decision yesterday. "Colonel Gaddafi is an evil man. We condemn him out of hand. It is for the British government to explain why they have been doing deals in the desert with him. Our position is that we abhor him. Mr Megrahi was released because he has got prostate cancer and is terminally ill."The British government recognized the Libyan rebels as the legitimate government of Libya on Wednesday.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:23 PM
2 comments
In an earlier post, I reported that Seif al-Arab Gadhafi and his three sons, a son and three of the grandsons of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, were killed on Saturday night in a NATO attack on one of the Gadhafi family compounds. On Sunday, the Libyan leader exacted his revenge, letting his supporters loose on various NATO countries' embassies in Tripoli. Among the embassies attacked was Britain's. The destruction may be seen in the pictures above and below, which I screen-captured from a BBC video which can be viewed here.
The Brits, who didn't seem too phased when they discovered that they had been duped into releasing Pan Am 103 hijacker Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, finally decided enough was enough. They have given the Libyan ambassador to the UK, Omar Jelban (pictured below), 24 hours to leave the country.
"I condemn the attacks on the British embassy premises in Tripoli as well as the diplomatic missions of other countries," said the foreign secretary, William Hague. "The Vienna convention requires the Gaddafi regime to protect diplomatic missions in Tripoli. By failing to do so that regime has once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations. I take the failure to protect such premises very seriously indeed."Here's a report from al-Jazeera on the expulsion of Libya's ambassador to the UK. Let's go to the videotape.
The statement went on: "As a result, I have taken the decision to expel the Libyan ambassador. He is persona non grata pursuant to article 9 of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and has 24 hours to leave the country."
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The Gaddafi regime appears to have mounted a symbolic attack on empty diplomatic residences and embassies in Tripoli. There are no British diplomats in the Libyan capital.
Other foreign residences were also targeted, as the UN announced it was taking all its remaining international staff out of Tripoli.
The Italian foreign ministry said its embassy and several others in Tripoli were damaged by vandals and accused the Gaddafi regime of failing to take measures to protect foreign missions.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Libya, Libyan regime change, Muammar Gaddafi, Omar Jelban, Seif al-Arab Gadhafi, Tripoli, United Kingdom, United Nations, Vienna Convention, William Hague
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:20 PM
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With Barack Hussein Obama having no appetite for leadership, British Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has awoken to the reality that - despite the lack of a UN mandate to get rid of him - leaving Muammar Gadhafi in power would not be a wise thing to do. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi could stage a Lockerbie-style attack in revenge for coalition air strikes if he is left in power, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said in an interview Friday.There are two problems with this entire operation: First, that no one has established any clear goals for it, and second, that it has made itself dependent on the approval of a United Nations body in which Russia and China have veto power.
Clarke, who is also Lord Chancellor, told the Guardian newspaper that there was still uncertainty in the government about the direction of the Libyan campaign.
"We do have one particular interest in the Maghreb (North Africa), which is Lockerbie," Clarke said, referring to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988, which killed 270 people.
"The British people have reason to remember the curse of Kadhafi -- Kadhafi back in power, the old Kadhafi looking for revenge, we have a real interest in preventing that."
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Barack Obama, Libyan no-fly zone, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:39 AM
1 comments
If I were President of the United States.... No, I'm not President of the United States, and the current President won't do anything - particularly in Libya - without asking permission from the 'international community,' but if I were President of the United States, I would do send Special Forces to Libya to do two things. The second is actually more important than the first:Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Barack Obama, Muammar Gaddafi, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:58 PM
1 comments
Libya's ex-Justice Minister has told the Swedish newspaper Expressen that Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi ordered the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, former justice minister Mustapha Abdeljalil told Swedish daily Expressen, the paper reported on its website Wednesday.After what's gone on in Libya for the past week, does anyone doubt that Gadhafi is capable of ordering a plane blown up?
"I have proof that Kadhafi gave the order on Lockerbie," said the minister, who stepped down Monday to protest the ongoing violence in Libya.
Libyan national Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi was in 2001 convicted of the bombing of Pan AM Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie on December 21, 1988 that killed 270 people, most of them Americans.
But Scottish authorities, who have power over their own judicial affairs, released Megrahi, 58, on compassionate grounds in August 2009 after doctors said he was suffering from terminal cancer and had three months to live.
His release and subsequent hero's return to Tripoli drew a furious response from many, and outrage in the United States has been stoked by the fact that he remains alive almost a year and a half after his release.
According to Abdeljalil, Kadhafi "ordered Megrahi to do it (the bombing)," and had worked hard to secure his release to ensure that his role in the plot remained secret.
"To hide it, he did everything in his power to get Megrahi back from Scotland," the former minister said.
Expressen said its reporter Kassem Hamade, who is currently in Libya, had conducted a 40-minute interview with Abdeljalil at "the local parliament in a large city."
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Lockerbie, Muammar Gaddafi, Mustapha Abdeljalil, Pan Am 103
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:21 AM
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A Wikileaks cable discloses that a British government minister advised Libya on how to obtain the 'compassionate release' of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, and that the United States was aware of that advice. A Foreign Office minister sent Libyan officials detailed legal advice on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis to ensure he was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds.Read the whole thing.
The Duke of York is also said to have played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging the terrorist’s release.
The Libyans closely followed the advice which led to the controversial release of Megrahi – who was convicted of the murder of 270 passengers on Pan Am Flight 103 – within months of the Foreign Office’s secret intervention.
The disclosure seriously undermines British Government claims that is was not complicit in the release of al-Megrahi, and that the decision to free the convicted terrorist was taken by the Scottish Executive alone.
It will also lead to renewed pressure from senior American politicians on David Cameron to release all internal documents detailing Britain’s role in the scandal. Last summer, the Prime Minister pledged to release the relevant information – but the publication has yet to occur sparking fears that a cover-up may have been ordered.
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In October 2008 – as negotiations on the prisoner transfer agreement were ongoing –Megrahi was diagnosed as suffering from cancer.
It can now be disclosed that within a week of the diagnosis, Bill Rammell, a junior Foreign Office minister, had written to his Libyan counterpart advising him on how this could be used as the grounds of securing al-Megrahi’s compassionate release from prison.
Rob Dixon, a senior Foreign Office official, met with the American Ambassador to brief him on the letter. An official American memo on the meeting states: “FCO Minister for the Middle East Bill Rammell sent Libyan Deputy FM Abdulati al-Obeidi a letter, which was cleared both by HMG and by the Scottish Executive, on October 17 outlining the procedure for obtaining compassionate release.
“It cites Section 3 of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act of 1993 as the basis for release of prisoners, on license, on compassionate grounds. Although the Scottish Crown informed the families of the Pan Am 103 victims in an email October 21 that the time frame for compassionate release is normally three months from time of death, Dixon stressed to us that the three month time frame is not codified in the law.”
Mr Dixon went on to disclose to the Americans that Jack Straw, the then Justice Secretary, had also spoken to Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister about the case which had led Government officials to believe that the terrorist would be released.
The minute of the meeting with the Americans records: “Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond told Jack Straw that he will make the final decision in this case. Salmond told Straw that he would make the decision based on humanitarian grounds, not foreign policy grounds; Dixon told us HMG has interpreted this to mean that Salmond is inclined to grant the request.”
Following the meeting, the American Ambassador reported back to his superiors in Washington said that the release of al-Megrahi could “occur sooner rather than later” and that Whitehall officials were handling sensitive negotiations with the Libyans on the issue.
Later documents also disclose that the Qatari government, one of the richest in the world, also became involved in the effort to secure al-Megrahi’s release. The Americans thought that the Qataris may have offered financial incentives to the Scottish Government. The Libyans are also recorded to have offered a “parade of treats” to the Scottish government.
A senior Qatari minister visited Scotland to discuss the case.
Labels: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, David Cameron, Jack Straw, Libya, Pan Am 103, Politics, Prince Andrew, US Politics, Wikileaks, World Politics
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:55 PM
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I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
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