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Fury at 'hero's welcome' for Lockerbie bomber
21 Aug 2009The return of the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing to a "hero's welcome" in his native Libya was met by a volley of criticism today.
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, was met in his homeland by a jubilant crowd.
He was earlier freed by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill on compassionate grounds after serving seven years of his life sentence for 270 counts of murder.
The cancer-stricken 57-year-old had changed out of the white tracksuit he wore on his release from Glasgow's Greenock Prison into a smart dark suit when he exited the plane at Tripoli airport.
Looking frail but happy, Megrahi waved to the hundreds of people who had gathered to welcome him home, before being gently helped from the airliner.
Many of Megrahi's well-wishers were pictured waving the Scottish flag alongside the distinctive green Libyan flags.
Pamela Dix, whose brother Peter died when the Pan Am jet exploded above Lockerbie in 1988, condemned the celebrations.
"I think a hero's welcome is entirely inappropriate in the circumstances," she said.
"I know the man maintains his innocence but I think discretion would have been the right thing in these circumstances. But that was probably too much to expect.
"He has been released on compassionate grounds but he remains a convicted man.
His return to Tripoli should not have been handled in this way.
"It has been a rollercoaster of a day - there has been an awful lot of thinking and reflecting on everything that has happened since Lockerbie. In general, things have got worse for us, not better."
Politicians also spoke out against the joyous greeting given to the convicted mass murderer.
Scottish parliamentarians were particularly angry that the St Andrew's Cross was used to welcome Megrahi to Tripoli.
Russell Brown, Labour MP for Dumfries, said seeing the Saltire at Tripoli airport was "stomach churning" and condemned the Scottish Government for failing to seek adequate assurances that the Lockerbie bomber would not be hailed as a hero on his return to Libya.
"I have never been ashamed to see my country's flag waved before, but to see it misused to celebrate mass murder is outrageous," he said.
"This man is convicted of murdering 270 people in my part of Scotland and that conviction stands.
"This adds further pressure to the SNP to explain why they have freed a man who showed no remorse for the crimes he committed.
"The SNP are damaging Scotland's reputation and have put our flag in a position where it can be abused like this."
David Mundell MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale said the scenes from Tripoli were "sickening".
"This is as we feared and why we said that Mr Megrahi should be kept in Scotland," he said.
"Alex Salmond's government has made a mistake of international proportions."
The welcome given to Megrahi as he stepped from the Airbus A300 marked the latest controversy surrounding the Libyan's release.
Kenny MacAskill's decision to free the dying bomber so he could spend his final days with his family was met with anger on both sides of the Atlantic.
MacAskill said Megrahi "now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power", but his decision was described as "disgusting" by a relative of one of his victims.
US president Barack Obama also urged the Libyans to make sure he remained under house arrest once he was home, adding that the Americans believed the Scottish Government had made a "mistake".
He added that Megrahi should not be "welcomed" back - a plea which appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
Megrahi, who has always claimed he is innocent, served just seven years, five months and four days of his sentence. He was informed of his release at 1pm as Mr MacAskill told the world.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, Megrahi said: "I am obviously very relieved to be leaving my prison cell at last and returning to Libya, my homeland."
Mr MacAskill considered two applications - one for Megrahi to be moved from Greenock prison to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement, and a separate application for him to be released early on compassionate grounds.
Mr MacAskill told reporters he was "conscious there are deeply held feelings" about the Lockerbie bomber.
"Many will disagree whatever my decision," he said. "However, a decision has to be made. Scotland will forever remember the crime that has been perpetrated against our people and those from many other lands, the pain and suffering will remain forever."
After his release was announced, Megrahi was driven to Glasgow Airport from HMP Greenock in a white van escorted by three police cars, another van and five motorcycles.
The angry crowd that booed and jeered as he was driven out of the jail was in stark contrast to the cheers that met him in Tripoli.
The Libyan government had played down claims he would return to his homeland a hero.
He will be required to live permanently at a given address in Libya, must agree any change of address and must not travel from Libya without consent, the Scottish Government said.
But even the terms of his licence were criticised, with opponents of the Scottish Government saying the return of Megrahi to Libya made them "clearly unenforceable".
