Well, dayum, isn't this just peachy?

In a symbolic vote at the Scottish Parliament, MSPs ruled that Kenny MacAskill, the SNP justice minister, mishandled Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi's request to return to Libya.
Yeah, since he's being partied all over Libya, it really is a symbolic vote, isn't it?
But Alex Salmond seized on Gordon Brown's admission that he "respects" the decision to free the bomber, claiming that this put the Prime Minister at odds with Labour at Holyrood.
And this is an excuse why? And how? You moron.
The Scottish First Minister attacked Labour's "totally ridiculous position" after David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, also confirmed he did not want Megrahi to die in prison.
Oh, so sensitive he is!
Mr MacAskill rejected an application for Megrahi to be allowed to leave Scotland under a prisoner transfer deal agreed by the UK and Libya, but released him on compassionate grounds.
Translation: "I can't do it as a prisoner transfer, but I'll set it up as a 'compassionate release', that'll take care of it!"
Speaking after the vote, Iain Gray, Labour's Holyrood leader, said: "Tonight the Scottish Parliament has made clear its opposition to both the decision to release Megrahi to Libya and the woeful handling of the decision and announcement."
Golly gee, that's wonderful! Maybe next time you can vote on it BEFORE YOU TURN THE MASS-MURDERER LOOSE, you boob.

There's lots more locking of the barn door after the camel has gone, then we get to this:
Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Tory leader, accused Mr Salmond and Mr Brown of indulging in "nudge-and-wink diplomacy" over Megrahi's fate.

"I can only conclude Mr MacAskill had actually set his mind on releasing Mr Megrahi back to Libya," she said.

Richard Baker, Scottish Labour's justice spokesman, insisted the decision to free the bomber was "chaotic", "badly mishandled" and "reflected badly on Scotland".
Ya THINK, Sparky?
But, in his closing speech, Mr Salmond quoted Gordon Brown, who told the BBC on Wednesday: "I respect the right of Scottish ministers to make the decision and the decision."

The First Minister later told the Daily Telegraph the real scandal was the "double standards between the Labour Party in Scotland and the Labour Party in London."

He claimed it was "impossible" for Scottish Labour to attack Mr MacAskill, without also criticising the Prime Minister.
Well damn, we can't have you suffering the slings and arrows of criticizing the jackass MacAskill and the PM, now can we? You're either such a partisan asshole you should stop breathing, or- well, that actually covers it, doesn't it?


Over at BBC News, I found this:
In a further development, a lawyer who represents the families of Lockerbie victims in the US is planning legal action to force the US government to publish details of its correspondence with London and Edinburgh in the run-up to Megrahi's release.
...
The debate came a day after the Scottish Government released a list of documents on the case, which revealed that Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell had told the Libyans the prime minister and foreign secretary did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison.
And why the hell not? That's what the SENTANCE was, wasn't it? 'Life in prison'?

I'm going to miss their whiskey, but damned if I want to put money in their pockets after this crap.


Oh, just to add to the fun,
Now we know that the Obama Administration knew about the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi months before he was freed. The Boston Globe reported that there were discussions between Attorney General Eric Holder and his Scottish counterpart back in June.
And
UPDATE: The White House blocked the release of Lockerbie documents this week.
FOX News reported:

The Scottish government told FOX News Tuesday that the U.S. government refuses to allow them to release details of any communication between Scotland and the U.S. over al-Megrahi's release.

A source with the Scottish government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the demand was made in a letter sent Tuesday from U.S. Embassy Chief of Mission Richard LeBaron.

Not surprising to me; I bet the President & staff suffered a pucker-power moment when the 'release all documents' announcement came. Now I wonder(yeah, right) if the major media will report on this.