Every now and then I check to see how al Megrahi—the convicted Lockerbie bomber released from prison by Scotland a year and a half ago (how time flies!)—is getting along.
When he was allowed to go home to Libya in August of 2009, it was said he had three months or less to live. A week ago there was a report by an unnamed relative that al Megrahi was now in a coma and within days of death, and Gaddafi added that his family plans to sue Scotland for mistreating him while in prison. And yet there was a simultaneous report from East Renfrewshire Council, the Scotland group responsible for monitoring him, that the other report was bogus.
Absolutely no surprise here:
A spokeswoman for the council, whose criminal justice social work staff are charged with monitoring Megrahi, said: “Today’s media speculation regarding Mr Megrahi is just that, and rumours are unfounded.”
She added: “We continue to be in contact with Mr Megrahi regularly and whenever we need to be for the purposes of supervision.”
What I wonder is this: why would reporters believe a thing this man’s family says about him? I know, I know; rhetorical question.
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
December 17th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Breathes there a Brit with soul so dead he never to himself hath said
… and then Mr. Toad looked up, a dangerous glint in his eye, and said
December 17th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
There are some Wikileaks that speak to this, but I forget where I read them today. Gist is the Scots opposed, the Brits insisted he be released because of economic threats to the UK from Qaddafi. After the storm broke, the Crown blamed the Scots, who took it in the shorts.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Tom is perfectly correct there – part of the cables released showed that the “near death” was made up in an attempt to garner public opinion whilst they caved to Qaddafi economic threats.
Of course that one isn’t covered much and was buried in something else (by bet is Assange would have redacted it if he was reading close, which he wasn’t).
There are also some interesting tidbits in there on Saddam having WMD’s and moving them to Syria before the invasion which is also ignored completely by most.
December 18th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
It’s a medical miracle! The air and water in Libya must be very good. They should probably open up health spas or something.