America: No Mercy?

The howls of protest at the decision of the Scottish Government's Justice Minister to release a convicted mass murderer dying

al-Megrahi's welcome at Tripoli

of cancer are grotesquely misguided.

It is a massive cultural difference between Great Britain and the USA that we can release prisoners on compassionate grounds,it seems that only a US President or Governor has that power there.

George Bush notoriously did not pardon the simple minded, children and those whose defences were grotesquely incompetent who were found guilty of murder but commuted the sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former Cheyney Chief of Staff found guilty of perjury and obstruction in the CIA-leak case.

Be it noted that were it not for the agreement of the UK to a Scottish Court being convened in Holland al-Mehrahi would not have been brought to trial. Having accepted Scottish jurisdiction it is unreasonable to seek to deny it when it no longer suits.

It is self evident that HMG in London have left the matter to the Scots, indeed their Justice Minister's announcement of his decision was particularly peevish, tendentiously attacking London for neither offering guidance nor information which he imagined might help pass the buck while leaving him with the glory and power.

It is astoundingly silly to imagine that Gordon Brown would not have discussed the prospective al-Megrahi release with Gaddafi when they met a few weeks back. Their advisors would have called for a breath test had they not done so. Nor is it a surprise that Brown asked for any return of al-Megrahi to be low key, nor that the Libyans would turn it into a celebration anyway.

I truly wonder at the minds of those who see conspiracy in every corner, who manage to find signs of evil doing in each crack in every public pronouncement, and on the vast dunes of ordinary governance also.

Loathe as I am to support the scunners of the Scottish Nationalist Government, the attempts of some in the Scottish Labour Party to capitalise on the furore are misguided and dishonest for the most part.

Jack McConnell seems to have climbed onboard the bandwagon of those who seek to exploit this a little late, or is that just the media only now picking up his views?

It was the right time for mercy; Justice without it damns those who exercise it.