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The two alleged terrorist bombers of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, killing 270 innocent passengers and people on the ground, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah, have been finally handed over for trial in the Netherlands under Scottish law. The two had been indicted in the United States and Britain, on charges that they were the ones who built and planted the bomb on the 747 aircraft. It was obvious to all concerned that they would never be handed over to the Americans or British directly, so this trial in a neutral country was the best the families of the victims could hope for!
While we should feel happiness for the families of the victims; we must wait and see how it all plays out in court. Hopefully it will not be ( or perceived to be ) a kangaroo court, by any of the parties involved!
The only dark spot appearing, even before the trial begins, is the madly spinmeistering out of control Clinton administration, in attempting to take credit for the extradition of the two accused criminals from Libya to the Netherlands. It is quite sad that these Clinton cronies are so fast to try to take the credit for anything positive that happens around the world, whether they were a major player or not, in order to deflect attention away from their mountain of failed domestic and foreign policy issues! As we have seen the events in Yugoslavia unfold for the last two weeks, it was not hard to predict that Clinton would have a spokesman take the credit for the extradition of the suspected terrorists, for his holy White House. Clinton has much to cover-up; such as the Juanita Broaddrick accusations, the Christopher Cox report revelations on Red Chinese spying and the recent reports that Johnnie Chung has been singing like a canary about the Clinton/DNC Red Chinese Military, Clinton/Gore 1996 campaign contribution ( bribery? ) connection!
Yesterday, James " Pinnochio " Rubin, took credit for the Clinton administration with a litany of misleading statements such as saying, it was " Clinton administration sanctions " that brought Libya to release the suspects. You could visibly see his nose grow as he delivered this line with a straight face to an audience of reporters who remembered quite well that it was the Bush administration that imposed the sanctions ( Reagan only bombed Libya ). On a roll with his blatant lies, Rubin continued to completely ignore United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and said the suspects were released because " Secretaries Albright and Cook decided to change tactics ". Shame on you Rubin, for lying to the American people in such a bald faced manner! This is the reality of the situation ( see: Kofi Shop? ( 12-6-98 ) ).
Kofi Annan must be given the credit for gaining the release of these two suspected bombers. It was Annan who realized that it would take more than a kind word or promise from him or the UN to Gadhafi, to insure their release for trial. Annan had the stroke of genius to bring Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Nelson Mandela of South Africa into the process. He correctly divined that Gadhafi would trust these two men, and obviously Annan trusted them also. So, after seven visits by the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Bandar bin Sultan, who had to drive because of the no-fly sanctions, and a number of visits by Nelson Mandela aide Jakes Gerwel; it was finally a personal visit by Nelson Mandella himself that sealed the deal. UN legal counsel Hans Corell played a part, and was in Libya for the departure of the suspects for the Netherlands on Monday.
I am not trying to say that the Clinton administration didn't have a hand in this one, though if they did, it was very minor indeed. I would think they did have to sign off on the deal, as many passengers were United States citizens. I am saying that they were making absolutely no headway until Kofi Annan took over the reins. It does not matter how loudly they scream or how fast the Whitehouse spinmeisters spin ( lie ), this one is a feather for Kofi Annan's cap and not for the Clinton administration. The only crowing in Washington about this, should be a meal for Albright, Clinton and Rubin!
- Bongo ( Tell me how you tremble in the presence of the living God Bill Clinton! )
