This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8229114.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Straw 'backed down' over Megrahi | Straw 'backed down' over Megrahi |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw dropped a demand to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from a Libyan prisoner transfer accord, the Sunday Times has reported. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw dropped a demand to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from a Libyan prisoner transfer accord, the Sunday Times has reported. |
| Letters leaked to the paper say Mr Straw wanted to exclude Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi from the accord. | Letters leaked to the paper say Mr Straw wanted to exclude Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi from the accord. |
| But he backed down, citing "overwhelming" UK interests in advance of a major oil deal. | But he backed down, citing "overwhelming" UK interests in advance of a major oil deal. |
| Mr Straw called the news "academic" - as Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds, not under the transfer accord. | Mr Straw called the news "academic" - as Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds, not under the transfer accord. |
| And he stressed that the Scottish authorities would still have had a veto over any move to send Megrahi home under the transfer agreement. | And he stressed that the Scottish authorities would still have had a veto over any move to send Megrahi home under the transfer agreement. |
| A stalled oil deal was ratified by the Libyans six weeks after the government dropped its bid to exclude him from the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA), the paper says. | A stalled oil deal was ratified by the Libyans six weeks after the government dropped its bid to exclude him from the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA), the paper says. |
| Scottish veto | Scottish veto |
| Mr Straw's change of stance over Megrahi's inclusion the transfer agreement came at a crucial time in negotiations over an oil exploration contract for BP worth billions of pounds. | Mr Straw's change of stance over Megrahi's inclusion the transfer agreement came at a crucial time in negotiations over an oil exploration contract for BP worth billions of pounds. |
| The paper says Mr Straw wrote to his Scottish counterpart Kenny MacAskill on 19 December 2007 and said: "I had previously accepted the importance of the al-Megrahi issue to Scotland and said I would try to get an exclusion for him on the face of the agreement. I have not been able to secure an explicit exclusion. | The paper says Mr Straw wrote to his Scottish counterpart Kenny MacAskill on 19 December 2007 and said: "I had previously accepted the importance of the al-Megrahi issue to Scotland and said I would try to get an exclusion for him on the face of the agreement. I have not been able to secure an explicit exclusion. |
| There was no U-turn, says Mr Straw | |
| "The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests for the UK, I have agreed that in this instance the [PTA] should be in the standard form and not mention any individual." | "The wider negotiations with the Libyans are reaching a critical stage and, in view of the overwhelming interests for the UK, I have agreed that in this instance the [PTA] should be in the standard form and not mention any individual." |
| Mr MacAskill released Megrahi on 20 August on compassionate grounds, eight years into his 27-year sentence for murdering 270 people in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103. | Mr MacAskill released Megrahi on 20 August on compassionate grounds, eight years into his 27-year sentence for murdering 270 people in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103. |
| Megrahi has since backed calls for a public inquiry into the bombing, saying he is determined to clear his name. | Megrahi has since backed calls for a public inquiry into the bombing, saying he is determined to clear his name. |
| Mr Straw has denied suggestions that the release was linked to Britain's commercial interests. | Mr Straw has denied suggestions that the release was linked to Britain's commercial interests. |
| "The negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement were part of a wider agreement for the normalisation of relations with Libya as part of bringing them into the international community," he said. | "The negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement were part of a wider agreement for the normalisation of relations with Libya as part of bringing them into the international community," he said. |
| "It was always made clear to the Libyans that, as with all other such agreements, the sentencing jurisdiction - in this case Scotland - had a right to veto any individual application, including that of any application from Mr Megrahi. | "It was always made clear to the Libyans that, as with all other such agreements, the sentencing jurisdiction - in this case Scotland - had a right to veto any individual application, including that of any application from Mr Megrahi. |
| "Not withstanding ministers' right of veto, the Scottish Executive wanted a specific carve-out from the PTA treaty in respect of Mr Megrahi. I gave instructions to British negotiators to try to secure this. | "Not withstanding ministers' right of veto, the Scottish Executive wanted a specific carve-out from the PTA treaty in respect of Mr Megrahi. I gave instructions to British negotiators to try to secure this. |
| "However, such an exclusion went beyond the standard form of PTA treaties and in the event an agreement for a PTA in the standard form - including the rights of veto of any application - was agreed. | "However, such an exclusion went beyond the standard form of PTA treaties and in the event an agreement for a PTA in the standard form - including the rights of veto of any application - was agreed. |
| "All this, however, is academic as Mr Megrahi was not released under the PTA treaty but quite separately by the Scottish Executive on compassionate grounds. | "All this, however, is academic as Mr Megrahi was not released under the PTA treaty but quite separately by the Scottish Executive on compassionate grounds. |
| "The Scottish Executive also refused his PTA application. This process was made clear at every stage to Libyan negotiators." | "The Scottish Executive also refused his PTA application. This process was made clear at every stage to Libyan negotiators." |