Americans turn on Britain over Al-Magraghi

A number of newspapers in the USA have reported that the US feels "Let Down" by the British over the release of the convicted Lockerbie Bomber. There is a lot of condemnatory rhetoric emanating from the White House about, not only the release, but also the heroes welcome given to Al-Magraghi in Tripoli. But the US press says that it was only to be expected that the Libyans would behave as they did. After all (goes the American logic), they are ragheads and that's what ragheads do, but Britain is being widely condemned for giving them the opportunity to do it.

It seems to me that this is typically American. The US has had Britain as a poodle for so long now that we are expected to do as we're told when Washington tells us to jump. They didn't want Al-Magraghi to be released, they said so, and they expected us to do as we were told. Like we always do. The last thing the White House expected was for The Scottish Justice Minister to exercise his own mind, his own discretion, and the principles of Scottish Law. No, instead, the British are supposed to keep our place, do as we're told and toe the American line.

Snipes are also starting to appear that the decision was influenced by business negototiations, particularly in gas, oil and the modernisation of Libya. Well, I don't know if that is true, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Perhaps Britain did use Al-Magraghi as a chip in the big game. So what? Would America have done any different? If they had held Al-Magraghie, and there were billions of dollars worth of business on the table, I reckon the US would have done exactly the same.

I note with interest that Col Gadhaffi is due to make a diplomatic visit to New York to address the United Nations in the next week or so. Have the US barred Gadhaffi from entering the US as a protest over this? Are they cancelling his meeting with President Obama over this issue. You can bet your favourite flip flop they aren't.

Gadhaffi will be welcomed into the USA and afforded all the state protocols that a Head of State is entitled to. Obama will smile and shake hands for the photo opportunities. Gadhaffi will be get the full star treatment. I doubt very much there will be anything more than a token comment made over the Al-Magraghi incident, and that will only be for the sake of form. Gadhaffi must be laughing his head off at both of us. He's got Britain and the US jumping through hoops and when he sees that the US is turning on Britain his smile will be even wider. He's got us both by the balls and he knows it.

I am aware of what happened at Lockerbie. I know how many Americans died. I also know how many Britons died. I know it was a terrorist outrage. I know Al-Magraghi has not admitted his guilt or shown any remorse. But the Scottish Justice Minister explained his reasons, and the principles of mercy in Scottish law. He showed compassion to a dying man and although I personally think it's a load of crap, it is there in the law and he exercised it. No, Al-Magraghi didn't show his victims any mercy. He didn't show them any compassion. But if we behave like him we become like him. We are better than that.

The US also wants to do business with Libya. The faux "outrage" emanating from the White House is little more than a show for the sake of US public opinion. Gadhaffi knows this and won't be at all troubled by it. He holds all the aces.

So, if the US can't hit on Gadhaffi, they will take their ire out on the ones who they know will always come back to them and fall into line next time. It is probable that the next time the US tells Britain to jump, Gordon Brown won't be in office, so they will safely be able to rely on the inexperienced new boy to ask "How High?"

The so-called "special relationship" is only special when the US wants it to be. The US screws Britain over whenever it suits them and we fall for it every time. They've gotten used to this and for that reason, any display of independence is frowned at from across the pond. This incident will soon blow over though and things will probably fall back into the usual pattern in future. But regardless of what I think of Al-Magraghi as a nasty, scummy, vile terrorist, for just once a British politician had the honesty and the balls to come to his own conclusion. It was his call and he made it. Good on him, I say, and just for once, if the US doesn't like it, they can go whistle.

It's time this country stopped being the USA's lap dog.

Not Britain's decision - it's Scotland's decision, good or bad.
Wales, England had absolutely no say in the matter and no control in the matter.

Lapdog seems eerily familiar...
Oh yeah, wasn't the U.S. the lapdog of Britain?

Sounds like you want a reverse revolution.

Fair point, Sheepy, but the US doesn't think like that. They don't know the difference between Great Britain, The United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. To them we are just "Brits" and a part of the Third World to be bossed around or shot at according to their whim.

I know it was a Scottish decision, you know it was a Scottish decision but ask a redneck at the Nascar track and he wouldn't know a Saltire from a sausage roll, and that's who will be reading the papers that make these reports.

No reverse revolution wanted, Falsifying. Just let us make our own decisions, stop screwing this country and stop treating us as your lackey

Whover decided everyone feels let down especially the families of those who died. Some are laughing at our humanitarism is letting a sick person to die at home surrounded by family. This is why he was released but there is a belief that there were other motives.

Really though, whether it was a Scottish decision or not (And I'm not saying if it's good or bad, just perhaps that "Britain" did what it had to do by law, and keep it's nose out of a Scottish affair), what springs to mind is the recent case of Gary McKinnon, a British citizen, extradited to America for computer hacking. Now that is a case where the US government should have been told to "bog off".

The interference in sovereign nations.

Anyway, it's thought the US government would have as much to lose as Scotland, if any appeal and enquiry went ahead. There's more going on here perhaps than is being admitted. We will never know

I'm doing this to you?
Awesome!
Had no idea I was so powerful.

Meh, we have no say in Scottish judicial system, this has been going on long before devolution, and since devolution, had we said anything, the Scots would be up in arms against the rest of Britain for interfering with their politics, so why the Americans are turning on us, I will never know, also, can you provide a link

This country loves using force, an unprovoked reverse revolution with no actual reason for conflict is possible.

That's kind of a strange thing to say. 1st you say they're rednecks, then you say they read papers. 1 indicates they're stupid and uninformed. The other indicates they're well read and informed. So which is it?

As to the topic at hand, I don't really know who he is or really care what Scotland does with him. However, I think you're making assumptions without perspective. From what I can gather through your posts, he's a convicted international terrorist. Surely you can see why that would be cause for concern, regardless of who has said concern.

I should have put money on that.

Ah screw em.
Some americans carry a chip about any damn country that disagrees with them.

They still havn't dropped their weird france obsession.

With all this s*** they've been spouting about the NHS they can f*** off.
...Of course I'm not talkling about any individuals... mostly just the attitude coming from fox news.

f*** the Americans.
How has a two hundred year old country f***ed up out nation so badly?

It seems to me that the American's who are outraged on the choice to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi don't understand the Scottish justice system.