ireport.cnn.com: Dd the White House Know about Lockerbie Bombers release?

[Thiebear]

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-475686

iReport —

Last week, during a press conference at White House with Britain's Prime Minister Cameron, President Obama told the world that Americans were "surprised, disappointed and angry" to learn of the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Baset a--Megrahi.

According to "secret" documents just acquired by The Sunday Times, the Obama Administration not only knew about the planned release but actually intervened to have the convicted murderer released on "compassionate grounds" rather than transferred to a prison in his home country Libya.

The release of Megrahi by Scottish authorities last year on "compassionate grounds" angered Americans, especially the survivors of the victims. In fact, doctors now think that the convicted terrorist could live for more than a decade.

Recently, several prominent U.S. Senators called for an inquiry into the release of Megrahi when it was alleged that the release was part of a deal for British Petroleum to obtain oil and gas concessions in Libya. Both the Obama Administration and the British Prime Minister brushed the inquiry aside.

This is a breaking story and obviously more information will be forthcoming over the next several days.

The question is, if this information is accurate, why would President Obama state to the world that we were "surprised, disappointed and angry"?

Again, the full story is not yet available but this bears watching

IF:

IF: Hillary and the Administration knew of this and did two things:

1. They didn't opposed to this as it was Mostly Americans that died on that plane, and made the release even more comfortable?

Don't worry about a cell, just let him go?

2. Then lied to the American people and said they had NO IDEA and were "shocked", "shocked" i tell you when they heard about this....

(maybe 3: ) Dismissed an inquiry into BP's role in this because they knew 'more' would come out? (Obstruction)?

Going to wait a day or two and see how this plays out...

[Landryslegend]

This could really be a knife in the heart of an already floundering administration. Who knows how much truth there is to the story yet, way too early. BUT.........If this is true, and Obama talked about how shocked and outraged the American public is over this guys release, all the while KNOWING full well,.........then there is no getting out of this one.

[Landryslegend]

Tell ya something else,....you have to KNOW that the right is sitting on a TON of stories right now. Just waiting for the right time to release them. Im thinking this is just the tip of the iceberg. As we get closer to November look for a ton of negative stories to break.

[Destino]

Amazing how a dishonest headline fabricated by the right wing "alternative" media spreads throughout the "liberal" media isn't it? Man the liberals must be asleep at the wheel to allow this blatant dishonesty to grow.

[Landryslegend]

Amazing how a dishonest headline fabricated by the right wing "alternative" media spreads throughout the "liberal" media isn't it? Man the liberals must be asleep at the wheel to allow this blatant dishonesty to grow.

Why is it the case with so many liberals that if a negative story breaks about the administration it is automatically BOGUS/ MADE UP. ? Why is that? But if something negative breaks about the right, or the tea party movement, it is somehow the absolute TRUTH? Funny how that works isnt it. Yet the left says that the right has blinders on. You know what the REAL TRUTH IS....? Both sides are walking around with blinders on for the most part. One of those little factoids that most know, but few will admit.

[Landryslegend]

In fact I thought I was pretty fair in my initial take on the story. Saying it was far too early to tell how much truth there is to it yet. Didnt just run with it as truth, nor did I just automatically write it off. But others seem to want to just automatically write it off as propaganda at this early date. Doesnt seem to openminded to me. In fact, it seems like some folks ARE INDEED walking around with blinders on.

[aREDSKIN]

Amazing how a dishonest headline fabricated by the right wing "alternative" media spreads throughout the "liberal" media isn't it? Man the liberals must be asleep at the wheel to allow this blatant dishonesty to grow.

Well the "honest" Journolist " has been exposed. They must be in hiding somewhere. Their flack for Obama will be fired eventually.

[Destino]

Why is it the case with so many liberals that if a negative story breaks about the administration it is automatically BOGUS/ MADE UP. ? Why is that? But if something negative breaks about the right, or the tea party movement, it is somehow the absolute TRUTH? Funny how that works isnt it. Yet the left says that the right has blinders on. You know what the REAL TRUTH IS....? Both sides are walking around with blinders on for the most part. One of those little factoids that most know, but few will admit.

I can't speak for people that think the way you describe. I just happened to have read the original article that started this little bit of hysteria and find the entire thing to be dishonest. Do you disagree?

[Bang]

In fact I thought I was pretty fair in my initial take on the story. Saying it was far too early to tell how much truth there is to it yet. Didnt just run with it as truth, nor did I just automatically write it off. .

Man, you either have a VERY selective memory, or you're just dumb as a brick. My bet is you just run your mouth so much that you forget what it says.

Here's your initial take on the story in the "socialist agenda" thread .

Ha ha ha ha, and NOW THIS!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/white-house-backed-release-of-lockerbie-bomber-abdel-baset-al-megrahi/story-e6frg6so-1225896741041

Im tellin ya, this dufas is the best thing that ever happened to us conservatives.

"The document, acquired by a well-placed US source, threatens to undermine US President Barack Obama's claim last week that all Americans were "surprised, disappointed and angry" to learn of Megrahi's release."

WOW, how horrific of a liar are you to look right into the camera and say those things, all the while KNOWING that you and your administration were behind his release. UNREAL. Keep em coming little O, keep em coming. THANX AGAIN!

This was prior to the first thread being posted about this story specifically.

Seems very fair and balanced to me. And I can really see where you took the time to consider the story might be false at the outset, and "didn't just run with it as if it were truth".. but then again, you've already established that the truth doesn't matter to you. I'd say this post coupled with patting yourself on the back in the post above just proves it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Once again...

:jerk:

~Bang

[@DCGoldPants]

Starting to feel bad for landryslegends. She's taking a lot of time here to post a lot, and can't find a friend anywhere here.

I tend to agree with Bang. Everybody finds their group around here. She's sitting at an empty lunchtable alone.

[Thiebear]

Least i used CNN and a better title than the slacker using the misleading title.

[THEREALTOR1]

Least i used CNN and a better title than the slacker using the misleading title.

You misspelled "Did" in your title tho

And you should have probably used the term "Official Thread" just to kick it up a notch

[Landryslegend]

Starting to feel bad for landryslegends. She's taking a lot of time here to post a lot, and can't find a friend anywhere here.

I tend to agree with Bang. Everybody finds their group around here. She's sitting at an empty lunchtable alone.

Sweet.

[Thiebear]

You misspelled "Did" in your title tho

And you should have probably used the term "Official Thread" just to kick it up a notch

I re-wrote it as it was all in Caps in the CNN ireport.

Seems the administration was correct about the "keep him in Scotland"

vs. the Lybia prison that was never going to be a prison.

[btfoom]

I can't speak for people that think the way you describe. I just happened to have read the original article that started this little bit of hysteria and find the entire thing to be dishonest. Do you disagree?

Do you mean this article:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/white-house-backed-release-of-lockerbie-bomber-abdel-baset-al-megrahi/story-e6frg6so-1225896741041

THE US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be "far preferable" to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya.

Correspondence obtained by The Sunday Times reveals the Obama administration considered compassionate release more palatable than locking up Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in a Libyan prison.

The intervention, which has angered US relatives of those who died in the attack, was made by Richard LeBaron, deputy head of the US embassy in London, a week before Megrahi was freed in August last year on grounds that he had terminal cancer.

The document, acquired by a well-placed US source, threatens to undermine US President Barack Obama's claim last week that all Americans were "surprised, disappointed and angry" to learn of Megrahi's release.

Scottish ministers viewed the level of US resistance to compassionate release as "half-hearted" and a sign it would be accepted.

The US has tried to keep the letter secret, refusing to give permission to the Scottish authorities to publish it on the grounds it would prevent future "frank and open communications" with other governments.

In the letter, sent on August 12 last year to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and justice officials, Mr LeBaron wrote that the US wanted Megrahi to remain imprisoned in view of the nature of the crime.

The note added: "Nevertheless, if Scottish authorities come to the conclusion that Megrahi must be released from Scottish custody, the US position is that conditional release on compassionate grounds would be a far preferable alternative to prisoner transfer, which we strongly oppose."

....

or this follow-up:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100048470/barack-obama-must-also-answer-questions-over-the-lockerbie-bombers-release/

The Lockerbie scandal has just become even murkier. According to a Sunday Times report yesterday “the US government secretly advised Scottish ministers that it would be “far preferable” to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya.”

The newspaperobtained a leaked document which reveals that Richard LeBaron, deputy head of the US embassy in London, had written to Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister, ahead of the release of the Lockerbie bomber. The correspondence indicates that the Obama administration’s opposition to the “compassionate” release of the Lockerbie bomber may not have been as clear-cut as it has subsequently claimed. In the August 12, 2009 letter, the senior US official appeared to condone “a conditional release on compassionate grounds” of convicted Libyan intelligence agent Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, if Scottish officials were determined to proceed with the release of al-Megrahi against the wishes of Washington. As The Sunday Times revealed:

The note added: “Nevertheless, if Scottish authorities come to the conclusion that Megrahi must be released from Scottish custody, the US position is that conditional release on compassionate grounds would be a far preferable alternative to prisoner transfer, which we strongly oppose.” LeBaron added that freeing the bomber and making him live in Scotland “would mitigate a number of the strong concerns we have expressed with regard to Megrahi’s release”.

As The Times piece points out, this clearly contradicts President Obama’s assertion at his joint White House press conference last week with the British Prime Minister that “all of us here in the United States were surprised, disappointed and angry” upon learning of Megrahi’s release.

....

Yes, they both seem to be VERY credible (and certainly more credible than the coverage of this story on MSNBC).

[Landryslegend]

Man, you either have a VERY selective memory, or you're just dumb as a brick. My bet is you just run your mouth so much that you forget what it says.

Here's your initial take on the story in the "socialist agenda" thread .

This was prior to the first thread being posted about this story specifically.

Seems very fair and balanced to me. And I can really see where you took the time to consider the story might be false at the outset, and "didn't just run with it as if it were truth".. but then again, you've already established that the truth doesn't matter to you. I'd say this post coupled with patting yourself on the back in the post above just proves it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Once again...

:jerk:

~Bang

If you dislike me, and my tactics you MUST REALLY hate this guy.

POOF.......and just like that, more votes lost

[Henry]

If you dislike me, and my tactics you MUST REALLY hate this guy.

POOF.......and just like that, more votes lost

The respect one earns around here is not based on one's politics.

I guarantee you that Bang does, in fact, dislike that kind of crap.

Which is also why he dislikes your posts.

[Bang]

If you dislike me, and my tactics you MUST REALLY hate this guy.

POOF.......and just like that, more votes lost

I can't stand a liar. I can't stand someone who puts party ahead of country. I can't stand a cheat.

So, yes I'd say both of you are on on my disgust-o-meter.. but not on equal footing. I place him much higher because he spreads the crap. You just wallow and even revel in it. (Or your side's version of it.)

I wonder if you even realize that although he is diametrically opposed to your agenda, you and people like you are what enables people like him?

And as a result, we ALL suffer for it.

If there's one thing I've maintained in all my years here. I think these political shills posing as "news" are one of the biggest problems facing our country, I think they're more dangerous to our ways of life then Al Quaida could ever be. I don't discriminate between the parties and their various outlets. I don't like propagandists, especially in the guise of "news".

~Bang

[Landryslegend]

The respect one earns around here is not based on one's politics.

I guarantee you that Bang does, in fact, dislike that kind of crap.

Which is also why he dislikes your posts.

Fair enuff. And quite frankly, my act is getting old even to me. Yes, I was absolutely DEAD WRONG to come in here hell bent for leather with guns drawn. More than that, it was the spiteful nature of many of my posts that were wrong. Not really me most of the time. Dont blame anyone either if they dont take me at my word, only time will show this to be true.

In truth,.........Ive been a lifelong conservative for multiple reasons. My stance on Christianity, abortion, basic morals, ect ect. Notice I said conservative,....NOT republican. Truth is....I am almost as disenchanted with the republicans as I am with the democrats. Many of them are conservative in NAME ONLY. This is why I started to lean more to the Ron Paul camp. In fact, during the last election he got my vote as a write in even though he had already withdrawn. No way I wanted Obama, but didnt see Mccain as any better either. Neither of them deserved my vote, so neither got it. Sometimes I just feel like we are drifting soooooooooo far away from the America I grew up in, a happier, simplier time where things made sense. Oh sure, we have made great strides in some areas, civil Rights, Womens rights to name a couple, but in MANY OTHER areas we seem to have lost our soul. Willing to deal with the devil so to speak .

Truthfully, I feel that BOTH parties are at fault in this mess we have created, about the only reason I still vote republican AT TIMES is because of their stance on moral issues such as abortion. Other than that, .....in reality they arent a whole lot different. Say anything to get the vote, deliver almost nothing. Far too much power has been incorperated at the top of the food chain, an unholy alliance between the major corporations and career politicians. Slave and slavemaster mindset is developing. It has GOT TO END NOW.....they need to be shown that they work for US and not the other way around.

[Henry]

Fair enough, LL.

As a moderate liberal I feel about the Democrats the way you do about the GOP. These days the only reason I vote Dem (when I do) is that I oppose social conservatism. (NOT trying to start a debate on that in this thread )

That's why I try and stay out of most of these threads nowadays. I'm not sure the Dems deserve my defense of them anymore.

[Bang]

Fair enuff. And quite frankly, my act is getting old even to me. Yes, I was absolutely DEAD WRONG to come in here hell bent for leather with guns drawn. More than that, it was the spiteful nature of many of my posts that were wrong. Not really me most of the time. Dont blame anyone either if they dont take me at my word, only time will show this to be true.

In truth,.........Ive been a lifelong conservative for multiple reasons. My stance on Christianity, abortion, basic morals, ect ect. Notice I said conservative,....NOT republican. Truth is....I am almost as disenchanted with the republicans as I am with the democrats. Many of them are conservative in NAME ONLY. This is why I started to lean more to the Ron Paul camp. In fact, during the last election he got my vote as a write in even though he had already withdrawn. No way I wanted Obama, but didnt see Mccain as any better either. Neither of them deserved my vote, so neither got it. Sometimes I just feel like we are drifting soooooooooo far away from the America I grew up in, a happier, simplier time where things made sense. Oh sure, we have made great strides in some areas, civil Rights, Womens rights to name a couple, but in MANY OTHER areas we seem to have lost our soul. Willing to deal with the devil so to speak .

Truthfully, I feel that BOTH parties are at fault in this mess we have created, about the only reason I still vote republican AT TIMES is because of their stance on moral issues such as abortion. Other than that, .....in reality they arent a whole lot different. Say anything to get the vote, deliver almost nothing. Far too much power has been incorperated at the top of the food chain, an unholy alliance between the major corporations and career politicians. Slave and slavemaster mindset is developing. It has GOT TO END NOW.....they need to be shown that they work for US and not the other way around.

Thank you. I knew you really were a nice person with a level head. Just needed to coax it out a little.

I'll back off, and offer a laurel and a handshake.

Truth is what we need, you and me and everyone else. We get less and less of it all the time. The more the twisters of truth get their way, the worse off we are. As I've said in countless other threads.. we've all been conditioned to question authority,, and now we have to also condition ourselves to question the questioners,, since the authority has corrupted them. To build on what you said,, they ALSO are supposed to work for us.

~Bang

[Landryslegend]

And for the record, believe it or not I do not harbor any ill will for the traditional mainstream middle of the road democrat types. Never did. I may not agree with everything they believe in but we do at least share some common ground. But I will say this..........I DESPISE with a passion the ultra leftwing moonbat lefty types like Pelosi. Always have, always will. For that I will never apologize, folks like that deserve every bit of scorn they get.

[Landryslegend]

Thank you. I knew you really were a nice person with a level head. Just needed to coax it out a little.

I'll back off, and offer a laurel and a handshake.

Truth is what we need, you and me and everyone else. We get less and less of it all the time. The more the twisters of truth get their way, the worse off we are.

~Bang

And thankYOU. Really,....that was a pretty decent post for you to make. See, we CAN all share some common ground.

[Bang]

And thankYOU. Really,....that was a pretty decent post for you to make. See, we CAN all share some common ground.

Welcome to the board. I guess you've had a nice baptism. Stick around, the more viewpoints the better.

~Bang

[techboy]

Welcome to the board. I guess you've had a nice baptism. Stick around, the more viewpoints the better.

~Bang

Good job Bang! Now go after the whole "Cowboys fan" thing. Maybe you can get some movement towards more rational thought there too!