More pants on fire from BBC Scotland.

The pro-independence world is in a tizzy this morning after yet another subtle piece of propaganda from BBC Scotland, in which they contrived to wilfully adapt an erroneous translation of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's deathbed statement into a full bloodied confession of mass murder. The ever excellent Newsnet have a concise skewering of the State Broadcasters murky ways here  See earlier Cheesier rumblings of their corporate shenanigans here and here . The Hootsman continue with their truly vile headline 'Megrahi's death bed confession'. Naturally, the more contentious or deliberately misleading a Hootsman story, the more they ban any comments.

Each time the question of blatant BBC Scotland propaganda comes up, brave cyber-warriors come on-line and claim how they won't pay their TV license. Proudly thumping their their collective chests, looking solemnly in to the mid distance with perhaps a wee hint of lachrymosity in their steely eyes and bellowing that they'd prefer a day in court or even a jail sentence to prove their point. This will never work. The BBC will never report one or two individuals not paying their license, at best the local media might portray non-payers as license dodgers in their pages of shame and blame, alongside the shoplifting and booze imbibing miscreants.

Those peeved at the continual goal post shifting from our State Broadcaster should take a glance askance at the current going ons in the good ole USA, where folk of all stripes, ages and colours are coming together under the #occupywallstreet banner. This campaign, inspired by the Arab Spring to become an American Fall has spread from New York to just about every major US city, where the authorities have found themselves on the back foot, incapable of coping with a sustained peaceful campaign. The mainstream media, permanently on alert for terrorist or tea bagger activity have been forced to give the protesters campaign against the corrupt financial system some media coverage, when direct action inconvenienced the 'new normality', albeit more down to police stupidity than cunning activist machinations.

If, dear readers, those of us tired of the perpetual stream of  blatantly skewed coverage within our own borders, that wishes to retain the Union and re-anoint Labour as our blessed saviours, want to make a difference, then perhaps we can look a wee bit closer to home for an example of a peaceful demonstration, that remained a painful and permanent thorn in the side of the Unionist establishment side for some five years.

The Democracy for Scotland vigil at Calton Hill was a 24 hours a day, seven days a week presence outside the Old High School from 1992 until 1997.  A group of roughly 100 dedicated men and women gave of themselves, to act as a semi permanent reminder of the lack of democracy in Scotland.  Their commitment to changing Scotland's future through night and day, dry and wet inspired many people to look at their place in Scotland a little bit closer.

If we want to make a change in the way that BBC Scotland portrays the nation of the people who pay this state tax, then we have to do more than the tantrum-like withholding of license fees. We have to build a sustained picketing of BBC Headquarters at Pacific Quay.  Embarrass them in their shiny new building. paid for with our taxes, where they contrive every day to feed us a diet of bland crap and skewed views.

Some of the above images were cheekily purloined from the excellent Scottish Political Archive on Flickr, thank you for preserving these.

The Hound of the Bakervilles...

Tomorrow an emissary of the evil empire is due in Scotland to prod, probe, provoke and preach to us on morality and expose our own craven weaknesses. Oh and Pope Benedict XVI is also going to be in town.


Yes, finally we see the result of America's strong arming step ashore and smite us with the arrival of a US Congressional staffer in Holyrood to conduct an investigation into the whys and wherefores of the Megrahi release. The anonymous staffer or staff (plural) are here at the behest of Robert 'Bob' Menendez the Democratic senator for the State of New Jersey, who in a desperate attempt to shore up support for the forthcoming mid-term elections has done his best to conflate the release of Megrahi with BP and their quest for Oil licenses in Libya. Petulantly ignoring the fact that the Tartan Overlord would rather exist on a diet of rice cakes than agree to a Prisoner Transfer Agreement to appease Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the shareholders of BP, this American-Hispanic Inquisition blithely sails on its merry way, casting aspersions on Scotland, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people. All the while ignoring the fact that the USA has by far the lions share of Oil licenses in Libya, and BP's license has sweet Fanny Adams to do with the Scottish Governments decision to release a dying cancer victim.

The most likely candidate to be representing Senator Menandez is a chappy straight out of West Wing central casting, step forward Mr Danny O'Brien.

  
Mr O'Brien, is Senator Menendez's Chief of Staff and wow what a number of staff this chappy has. In the financial year 2009-2010 Senator Menandez employed 58 people in his office, including Danny O'Brien. His staffing budget for the fiscal year 2009 was an eye watering $3,018,836 of which Danny O'Brien was alloted a mere $84,729.48. Danny boy is a previous White House staffer, former Chief of Staff to Senator Torricelli and former Chief of Staff to Senator Joseph Biden, the man who's now a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the USA. Ahh if only he was still by Joe Biden's side he could be the Vice President's Chief of Staff, ho hum, at least his new guy has the bit between the teeth with these pesky Scotch guys... In essence Danny is a smart operator, all the data I've read on him suggests he knows a good fight when he sees it and knows how to get his sleeves rolled up and get into the mire, I'll skip how he ran the Nevada campaign for Al Gore in 2000 or how during the early 1990's he err brought 'Democracy' to eight countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe, whilst working for the acronym boys...

Unfortunately for Danny, his supreme Eckness told Senator Menendez and his committee to travel and copulate simultaneously, thereby limiting the possibility of this Auto de fé spilling over into Bellahouston Park.   

  
Similarly Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill also told the US Senator's committee to go forth and multiply. Which sadly leaves Danny* (if it is he) to discuss matters with shadow Justice Secretary the snivelling, whining toad junior, Richard Baker MSP, as the sole representative of Scotland's political class. 

Whilst the Emissary of the Americano peoples will be steering the conversation towards BP, Oil, Libya and deals in the desert. Richard Baker will, according to the esteemed Press and Journal  be ignoring any mention of deals and deserts and instead suggesting that the Inquisition "should now concentrate their efforts on forcing publication of the medical records." Believing this to be a "much harder subject for the 'administration' to come up with satisfactory answers." For this snivelling milksop of an English public school educated boy to use his office, to direct the representatives of a foreign nation to make life difficult for the Scottish Government is beyond reprehensible. 

One can only hope that Danny O'Brien, on the face of it a sensible chappy, takes one look at the spittle flecked invective emanating from Toad juniors gaping maw and decides to ignore Bakers pleas to sign his DVD box set of the West Wing and take a wander over to Bellahouston Park to see what many of the Scottish O'Brien's are up to.

*In the interests of serendipity, I hope it's not Danny O'Brien who conducts this investigation, instead I'd prefer if it is Senator Menendez's wonderfully named Chief Counsel, Kerri Sherlock Talbot. I mean come on, Sherlock, Edinburgh, Conan Doyle...it all fits together...doesn't it?  

Mary doll dumped by Sunday Mail.

It appears that the Sunday Mail, have thrown off the last vestiges of objective journalism and dropped their sole Independence supporting columnist Elaine C Smith.

According to the Scottish Independence Convention Ms Smith, the convenor, has discovered that her pro-independence opinions are no longer welcome. The last column she submitted, supporting Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's decision to release El-Megrahi on compassionate grounds was pulled at the very last minute.

Bruce Waddell.

If you feel that the grand poobah, Bruce Waddell, the editor in chief has erred in this decision, by all means demonstrate your ire by writing to mailbox@sundaymail.co.uk or for the more voluble please call 0141 309 3000.

Annie Hamilton a poundland Anne Coulter.

The following is a column by Annie Hamilton a rather delightful racist, bigot, islam-o-phobe, racist who writes for the San Jose Examiner. I suggest everyone have a read at it and if you feel inclined send her a little message in the comments section. I've already uncurled a three pounder into a jiffy bag.

Isn't it odd that there's a particular brand of septic nutjob commentator that always has Scottish surnames. Maybe the Clearances weren't a bad idea after all.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5740-San-Jose-Republican-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Where-are-all-the-men-letter-to-Secretary-Macaslin-regarding-dumb-decisionmaking

another image....
Dear Secretary MacAskill:

Although it pains me to witness the ridicule deservedly heaped upon your shoulders well as fellow apologist and twit, PM Gordon Brown, it simply illustrates how liberals are able to twist compassion into something nonsensical.

How you’ve managed to walk straight without bumping into walls, let alone keep your job, following your doltish decision to allow Al-Megrahi, to return to his native Libya, despite the conviction and life sentence handed down for his part in the biggest mass murder to take place in British legal history has triggered fury amongst Americans and most of the relatives of the 270 people killed in 1988. Frankly, I just have a few questions and observations as your decision hardly shocks me. Our 2008 Presidential election has opened America’s eyes to the numerous oafish decisions of its’ own Administration, so obviously fraught with mental and intellectual herpes.

It seems as though the rational strategy would be to immediately remove you from the Scottish government, on grounds that you are discernibly lacking the cognitive and moral aptitude to accomplish much more than dodging alcohol-related convictions or busying yourself with everyday nose-picking tasks. As such, perhaps we then we ought to start calling for your government to be dismantled until new elections can take place. In addition, our U.S. Justice Department ought to indict you for aiding and abetting the escape of a known convicted felon, with the UK/Scottish leadership waiving any sovereign immunity defense or other related privilege asserted. This would send the appropriate message to the weenies throughout Europe as well as Islam that when you blow up a plan carrying damn near 100 % Americans, there are consequences beyond a political circle jerk. In addition, you should then be extradited to the US for your trial prior to serving both your sentence as well as the remaining 19 years of al-Megrahi’s.

Now, THAT would be justice, rather than the dog and pony show you forced the world to witness the other day, complete with private plane and hero’s welcome. Short of execution, the only justifiable remedy for a turd like al-Megrahi is to cage him without the possibility of future freedom. While it’s understandable that Gordon Brown has been frantically searching for his testacles since Daniel Hannan called his stupidity out before the world, it's hardly escaped my notice that despite your gun ban, your crimes are not only through the roof but that 80 % of them go unsolved. And people wonder why Europe is being overrun by Radical Islam! Or perhaps it’s your naiveté? I mean, please, ‘Mad Dog’ denounces Islam although he’s been linked to a half-dozen attacks killing Americans, including the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland and still you spineless imbeciles have chosen instead to bend over for Shariah law?

Your apparent excuse for letting this animal out of his cage was a ‘death sentence’ of three months for prostate cancer given by a British doctor? So what’s your point? Who cares that he’s ill? Now that he’s out of prison, and out of YOUR hair, he can always come on over to the US for free care. What the hell, we provide it to everyone else. We’re not naive; you easily could have released him to unburden your floundering economy from his prostate cancer treatments in a classic example of health care rationing. Why stick the Queen with the bill when Uncle Sam will do it? (Naturally we will, we're the same idiots that voted a radical Muslim into office…although I’m fairly certain many of his voters are either victims of fetal alcohol syndrome or should be wearing fitted helmets)

While it shocked me to hear that Kenya’s finest had taken the time away from his frantic schedule of wiping out our economy, cuddling with dictators and trying to kill America's elderly long enough to comment on how your decision to free fellow ass-clown Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was a mistake and that’ he should really be under house arrest’, a statement that got a chuckle out of al-Megrahi..The spineless teleprompter-dependent President de facto did manage to put terror into the hearts of Libyans, and al Qaeda everywhere, issuing a ‘stern’ warning that they had’ better not give him a hero's welcome!’

Patriots everywhere consider it a colossal mistake and missed opportunity to not have had a plainclothes sniper pop this worthless blow-up doll before he had the chance to board the private plane set for the pastures of pedophiles and alpha goat lovers.

Saif al Islam Gaddafi said that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi’s return was deemed a “victory” for all Libyans, Seif al-Islam announcing to Libyan TV that the potential release in the case had been raised 'as a point of negotiation' during talks over oil and gas, international news reported. The UK Foreign Office has strongly denied the claims, Secretary Miliband denouncing the allegations as ‘slurs’ “There is no such deal. All negotiations pertaining to this case have been exclusively in the hands of Scottish ministers, the Crown Office in Scotland and the Scottish judicial authorities.“ Right! That’s why in 2007 Tony Blair concluded a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya!

The public has been asking Brown for a statement although he’s remained silent. Perhaps a better question to pose to this Prime Minister is if all incarcerated mass murderers should be given freedom, as long as they’re 1) diagnosed with a terminal illness and 2) have killed fewer than 270 people? If so, what if the person was Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper or Jeffrey Dahmer? Their victims didn’t reach numbers anywhere near 270?

I’m curious, though, Mr. Secretary…Why did you really release this monster? Is it because you’re ignorant as to the true nature of Islam? Were you all involved in an international transaction, using a terrorist’s freedom as currency? Or something more personal, like your drinking? Obviously anyone capable of reading knows that in ’99 you were detained in London during a sporting event for being drunk and disorderly…and other whispering often follows you, although you weren’t formally charged with anything and you did manage to squeak through another election successfully. Or perhaps it’s your four –time failure to win a seat in Westminster? Or did you stick it to us because of Obama’s amateurish savoir-faire earlier this year germane to the Churchill bust as well as treating the diplomatic gift exchange like a white elephant raffle at the neighborhood trailer park?? I mean, we were mortified but you must have been privately amused by his inexperienced buffoonery and embarrassing stretch of confidence common to other wannabe leaders and ghetto thugs who clearly were raised by people without values or who tend to surround themselves with trashy, unsavory characters.

Your iniquitous decision heartens global terrorists everywhere who may now deduce that regardless of the quality of the investigation or conviction they can be freed by one heedless man's exercise of lunacy. Your dispassionate esteem for human life makes a mockery of the emotions and efforts of everyone affected by the Lockerbie tragedy and multi-decade ordeal that now shall have no closure, despite a financial settlement. This is not justice. And what else have you accomplished? Sending a murderer to a hero’s welcome, turning your country into the laughing stock of western Europe, teaching radicals everywhere that Shariah does, indeed, outrank anyone else’s legal system? If so, hooray for you! Perhaps you can get together with the boys in DC and discuss it over a beer at the white house.

Keep in mind, though, that we have your number. You and your flaccid regime that wouldn’t have defeated the Falklands without the aid of the US and then President Reagan (a real man, rather than a limp excuse for a commander such as currently plagues both the US/UK) After the stunt you pulled, it would be entertaining to see Argentina yank the Falklands back and watch you squirm waiting to see if we’re going to show up to aid you yet again.

My last point is this, Secretary MacAskill: Get it through your thick skull that Islamic terrorists don’t give a rat’s ass about compassion or kindness. These are not ‘positive’ attributes to this group. The only thing you’ve done is to beautifully set yourself up for another failure and attack, while taking others with you. It’s not your right to act with such disregard toward your fellow man.

And the next time there is such an attack, be it the IRA, al Qaeda or a random event, it may kill a family member….then how compassionate will you be? Or perhaps that’s precisely the point and why you’re in forever bondage to England? You’re incapacity of running a country unsupervised.

Regards,

Annie Hamilton

So whose pants are on fire, Westminster or the US government?

Below is the relevant part of Kenny MacAskill's statement on the Prison transfer agreement, covering MacAskill's visit to Megrahi at Greenock prison and his reasons for denying the Libyan Government's request for a Prisoner Transfer, which Blair agreed to in a memo of understanding in 2007 and Westminster ratified last year.

The outstanding question in this part of the whole stramash, is this. Why would the Westminster government deny there had been an agreement with the USA that any person sentenced for this crime would remain in a Scottish prison for the rest of his life and never be transferred to his homeland, particularly when the USA are so adamant that it had been agreed?

Prior to ratification of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement, it was scrutinised by the Westminster Joint Committee on Human Rights, to which Jack Straw, UK Secretary of State for Justice, gave a commitment that in cases where applications were not submitted personally by the prisoner, the prisoner must be given the opportunity to make representations. Mr Al-Megrahi had the opportunity to make representations, and he chose to do so in person. Therefore I was duty bound to receive his representations. I accordingly met him. It was clear that both the United States Government and the American families objected to a prisoner transfer. They did so on the basis of agreements they said had been made, prior to trial, regarding the place of imprisonment of anyone convicted.

The United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, was in fact deputy Attorney General to Janet Reno at the time of the pre-trial negotiations. He was adamant that assurances had been given to the United States Government that any person convicted would serve his sentence in Scotland. Many of the American families spoke of the comfort that they placed upon these assurances over the past ten years. That clear understanding was reiterated to me, by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I sought the views of the United Kingdom Government. I offered them the right to make representations or provide information. They declined to do so. They simply informed me that they saw no legal barrier to transfer and that they gave no assurances to the US Government at the time. They have declined to offer a full explanation as to what was discussed during this time, or to provide any information to substantiate their view. I find that highly regrettable. I therefore do not know what the exact nature of those discussions was, nor what may have been agreed between Governments.

However, I am certain of the clear understanding of the American families and the American Government. Therefore it appears to me that the American families and Government either had an expectation, or were led to believe, that there would be no prisoner transfer and the sentence would be served in Scotland. It is for that reason that the Libyan Government's application for prisoner transfer for Abdelbasit Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi I accordingly reject.


Why are there no written records of the 'agreements' that took place between the UK and US governments?

---------1988----------

Lockerbie supposedly predates the 'war on terror' by 13 years. 1988 was in many ways 'Year Ground Zero' for a lot of the shit we see around us now. A brief glimpse at the year is rather eye opening to what's going on with the world today.

January 1988 the Cold war was all but over as Gorbachev introduced pererstroika to the USSR.

February saw the US House of Representatives deny Reagan millions for his support of the Contras in Nicaragua

March was busy. Bush senior wins the Republican nomination for president. Ollie North and John Poindexter are indicted over the Iran Conta affair. Israel sentences Mordecai Vanuana to 18 years for spilling the beans on their nuclear programme to the Sunday Times

April saw the Israelis assassinate the PLO's Abu Jihad in Tunisia. The USS Sam Roberts struck a mine in the Persian Gulf and retaliated by blowing up several Iranian oil platforms and ships.

May. The Soviet Red Army withdraws from Afghanistan after eight yearsand 13,836 dead Soviet soldiers, an average of 1,537 men a year. The Soviets also lost 118 aircraft, 333 helicopters, 147 tanks, 1500 armoured vehicles, 450 artillery guns, 1200 radio sets, 510 engineering vehicles and 11,369 trucks and petrol tankers...

June was quiet Mandela turned 70 and MTV asked if he'd be appearing at his birthday party at Wembley.

July Iran Air flight 655 is shot down by a missile launched from the USS Vincennes. Two days later Piper Alpha explodes killing 1657 men

August President Haq of Pakistan killed in a plane crash, twelve days after Allam Arif Hussain Hussaini, leader of Pakistan's Shia Muslims is killed. On the 20th the Iran-Iraq war ends, one million dead over eight years. The world hails this as a chance for peace in the middle East.

September Seoul Olympics spoiled by Ben Johnson's eye bulging steroid abusing 100m fraud.

October BBC bans interviews with IRA, htey give them voice overs done by Shakespearian actors...

November An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed. Benazir Bhutto elected Prime minister of Pakistan. Super Mario 3 introduced in time for Christmas.

December. 32 die in Clapham junction rail disaster. Bangladesh cyclone leave five million homeless and thousands dead.

5th December a man with an Arabic accent telephones the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki and warns them that a Pan Am flight from Frankfurt to the USA will be blown up within the next two weeks by someone associated with the Abu Nidal Organisation

The anonymous warning was taken seriously by the U.S. government. They cabled the bulletin to dozens of embassies. They sent it to all U.S. carriers, including Pan Am, which had charged each of the passengers a $5 security surcharge, promising a "program that will screen passengers, employees, airport facilities, baggage and aircraft with unrelenting thoroughness" (The Independent, 29 March 1990); the security team in Frankfurt found the warning hidden under a pile of papers on a desk the day after the bombing.

On 13 December, the warning was posted on bulletin boards in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and eventually distributed to the entire American community there, including journalists and businessmen. As a result, a number of people allegedly booked on carriers other than Pan Am, leaving empty seats on PA103 that were later sold cheaply in bucket shops.

21st December Clipper Maid of the Seas blows up over Lockerbie. John Peel reports just before Radio One closes down for the night, that a plane has crashed on the motorway in the south of Scotland.

MEGRAHI DECISION MADE.

MacASKILL INFORMS FAMILIES OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF DECISIONS ON ABDELBASET ALI MOHMED AL-MEGRAHI

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has informed families and other interested parties that he has reached his decisions on the applications for prisoner transfer and compassionate release in relation to Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi, and will announce his decisions on Thursday August 20, 2009.

This fulfils the Justice Secretary's pledge to inform families on both sides of the Atlantic, in advance, of the timing of his public announcement.

The statement will take place at 1pm on Thursday (8am Eastern Standard Time).

Mr MacAskill's statement will be followed by an opportunity for questions and one-to-one broadcast interviews.

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The above release has been sent out worldwide. Media speculation will rage through the night. 'Insiders' will claim to know what decision Kenny MacAskill has taken. Perhaps family members or friends of victims will talk to the press before the 1pm press conference. Newsnight Scotland will go into meltdown, wee Glenn Campbell will possibly be elevated again to share a desk with Kirsty Wark or even Paxman!

Whichever way the Scottish Government decision goes, one fact remains and it is this. Kenny MacAskill has shown himself to be an honest, considered man, who has retained his dignity in the overwhelming maelstrom of shite caused by Bill Aitken, Conservative Justice spokesman, Paul McBride QC, Richard Baker Labour shadow Justice minister, Tavish Scott Lib Dem Leader and Jim Murphy Secretary for the State of Scotland.

The Scottish press has embarrassed itself yet again by pandering to anti SNP headlines and the quite frankly insulting piece by Magnus Linklater (a man who appears to live in shame of his SNP member mother) in the Times.

The imminent death of Megrahi, however, will not put an end to the questions asked about the bombing of PanAm 103 and it's fateful explosion over the Lockerbie skies. That unfortunately is an industry that has much currency to be wrung from it.