LONDON // The British and US governments appear to be on a legal collision course over the fate of a Libyan convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
The UK government accepts that Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, who was released from a Scottish prison two years ago today, can never be returned to Britain to complete his jail sentence.
But the Obama administration is believed to be ready to demand Al Megrahi's extradition to the US if Col Muammar Qaddafi is forced from power.
The release of Al Megrahi, who had completed fewer than eight years of a 27-year sentence, appalled the US government and most of the relatives of the 259 passengers and crew aboard Pan Am Flight 103, plus those of the 11 victims killed when the jumbo crashed on the Scottish border town.
It also angered David Cameron, who has since become Britain's prime minister, and his Conservative Party.
But while a Downing Street spokesman accepted this week the legal process had been exhausted and there was "no mechanism" for putting Al Megrahi back behind bars, the US administration is understood to be determined to extradite him to America, home to 189 of the victims.
"The US has not said anything officially but it is widely believed that the administration will try to get Megrahi back to the States if NTC [National Transitional Council] forces succeed in ousting Qaddafi," a diplomat said yesterday.
The NTC is the rebel authority Britain and the US recognise as the legitimate government of Libya.
Al Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds by the ruling Scottish National Party in the Scottish parliament because he was suffering from prostate cancer and was deemed to have only three months to live.
But two years on he is still alive and recently attended a rally in support of Col Qaddafi, whose son Saif greeted him as a returning hero when he flew back to Tripoli in August 2009.
Guma El Gamaty, the UK coordinator for the NTC, this week described Al Megrahi's release as "helping Qaddafi and not the Libyan people".
"Unfortunately, it gave Qaddafi a political and diplomatic victory," Mr El Gamaty said. "By releasing Megrahi, it was the wrong signal."
But should the US and NTC agree to Al Megrahi's extradition, it would almost certainly cause a transatlantic rift and a clash over international law, not least because he has already been found guilty at a trial in The Netherlands under an agreement that included the US.
He also still falls within the jurisdiction of the Scottish legal system.
A Scottish government spokesman said: "East Renfrewshire Council, as the supervising local authority, has been able to maintain contact with Al Megrahi since his return to Libya, including during the recent conflict, and he continues to abide by the terms of his release licence."
But Robert Forrester, the secretary of Justice for Megrahi - a British-based lobby group that believes the Libyan was the victim of a miscarriage of justice - thinks the US will have no hesitation in trying to extradite him if Col Qaddafi and his regime fall.
"There is a strong likelihood that if members of the NTC lay their hands on Mr Al Megrahi, he may quickly find himself in possession of a one-way ticket to the USA, with all the dire consequences that that could hold in store for him," Mr Forrester said.
The Justice for Megrahi campaign has been joined by civil rights activists, relatives of two British victims, lawyers, journalists and even the Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
It wants the Scottish authorities to offer Al Megrahi "an open door" to enable him to flee to Scotland and live out his remaining time on licence in Britain.
But more strident voices have been calling for him to be brought back to Scotland to complete his prison term.
However, a spokesman for Mr Cameron said: "I don't think there is any mechanism by which he can be brought back to the UK."
Libyan authorities say Al Megrahi is already close to death, despite his appearance at the Qaddafi rally last month.
"His health has taken another turn for the worse after doctors discovered a growth on his neck," a government spokesman told the The Mail on Sunday.
"For the cancer to reach a part of the body so far away from the prostate confirms that Brother Megrahi's body is now ravaged by the disease."
dsapsted@thenational.ae
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
New schools in Dubai
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
