Whoever would have thought the release of a sick old man from a Scottish prison could provoke such outrage in America, the basis of which appears to be directed toward the moral character of a man involved in bringing down a plane with 270 innocent civilians on board. 270 innocents whose lives were snuffed out so cruelly in so cowardly and unjustified a manner.
I am reminded of events preceding the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988. I refer of course to the other civilian plane crash that occurred just 5 months before, on 3 July, 1988, when 290 innocent civilians, 66 of whom were children, died.
This is the day a guided missile cruiser, the USS Vincennes, fired upon an Iranian Airbus, Flight 655, operating an established route between Teheran and Dubai, while flying inside Iranian airspace.
This event occurred just weeks after President Ronald Reagan assured the Iranian people in a televised address that they would never be allowed to win their war with American backed Iraq. The shooting down of Flight 655 was effective, showing Iran that Reagan spoke much truth, and the 8 year Iran/Iraq war ended shortly after this incident. Clearly those 290 deaths were not in vain.
Reagans Vice President Bush (Daddy of Dubya) said in reaction to the outcry at the time:
"I'll never apologize for the United States of America, ever. I don't care what the facts are"
The author of the Iran Air misfortune was Captain Will Rogers III of the USS Vincennes. The baying for pay-back-blood that accompanied and continues to accompany the Pan Am bombing has been entirely absent from Western media almost from the moment the Iran Air Flight 655 met the sharp end of the US Missile. In fact, the author of that misfortune did not face trial for murder, or homicide, or even military malpractice. Instead he was presented with the Legion of Merit decoration "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as commanding officer ... from April 1987 to May 1989", by none other than Americas leading apologist, George Bush senior in one of his first duties as President.
Perhaps Gaddafi's celebrating Megrahi's release is a reminder of the celebrated return offered to Capt Will Rogers III?
It is inconceivable that no link exists between Pan Am Flight 103 and Iran Air Flight 655 and yet in all the miles of newsprint arising from Megrahi's release I have not seen one reference to Iran Air Flight 655.
To recap by way of conclusion on 2 events from 1988:
1. Iranian plane bombed by Americans. 290 dead. American shooter given medal by the President. Compensation paid to victims.
2. American plane bombed by Arabs. 270 dead. Arab fall guy who convinces no one of his guilt must rot in jail until dead or Americans will stop drinking Scotch whiskey at a time when they clearly need it the most.
To paraphrase Borat. 'Thatsa Nyse.'
