In July, 2008, Swiss police detained Hannibal Gaddafi (the son of Libyan Dictator Moammar Gaddafi) and his wife for having beaten two servants while the Gadaffi's were in Switzerland.
Two days later, the Gaddafi's were released on bail after having been charged with "inflicting physical injuries against the servants"; they immediately left the country. The two accusing servants dropped all charges after they were "compensated" (financially, presumably by persons acting in the interests of Gaddafi's son ... one wonders who that would be).
Later in July, 2008, two Swiss businessmen in Libia were arrested in Libya, where they were working, for "Visa violations". They were later released from jail, but their exit visas were canceled.
Later in 2008 Swiss airline flights are no longer allowed to land in Libya; Libya airlines reduce their flights to Switzerland.
In June, 2009 Libya withdrew most of its assets from Swiss banks.
On August 20, 2009, Swiss President President Hans-Rudolf Merz apologizes to Tripoli for the arrest. Within the week Libya "gives assurances" that the two Swiss Businessmen will be allowed to leave Libya. As of this date (August 27, 2009) they are still in Libya.
Golly, that must be embarrassing for the Swiss.
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Also in August, 2009, Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi -- the only man ever convicted and imprisoned for the 1988 Lockerbie airplane bombing applied for his release from the Scottish prison where he had been housed since 2001, on compassionate grounds. He is dying of cancer and is said to have only three months to live. "The 57-year-old was jailed in 2001 for the atrocity which claimed 270 lives in 1988. "
The United States protested strongly objected and demanded of Great Britain and Scotland that al-Megrahi not be released, due to the enormity of his crime.
On August 20, 2009, "Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill explained his decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi.
He said the Libyan, who has terminal prostate cancer, would be allowed to return to his homeland ..." ... on "compassionate grounds".
President Obama personally and through a States Department spokesman stated that al-Megrahi "should not be given a hero's welcome." "Mr. Megrahi is a terrorist, not a hero. If Libya chooses to lionize him it will affect our future relationship."
That must have scared the shit out of the Libyans, because upon his arrival in Tripli al-Megrahi was given a hero's welcome in a "festive greeting by thousands" including Seif al-Islam el- Gadhafi, son of Libyan leader Libyan leader Moammar Gadhaf.
The latest word is that the prognosis of al-Megrahi's prostrate cancer may not be exactly that he has "only three months to live", which is one of the conditions for early release.
And suggestions that the doctor who gave the prognosis may have been employed by the Libyan government emerged in the report's notes. It said that a professor from Libya had been involved in Megrahi's care and the medical officer who wrote the report had been "working with clinicians from Libya over the past ten months".Rumors abound that Great Britain encouraged the release as a step toward finalizing a favorable concession for Lybyan oil.
(See here for PJTV video)
Golly, that must have been embarrassing for the Americans.
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Imagine, two of the greatest and strongest, and one of the richest, countries in the world being humiliated within days in two separate political coups by the same self-proclaimed dictator of a third-world country.
Leadership can do wonders, can't it?
Whatever happened to "No Blood for Oil"?
Sure wish we had a competent leader. I wouldn't even mind if he was a madman.
Oh, wait: he's just not competent.
Never mind.
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UPDATE: August 29, 2009
It's just a bit of a Technical thingie, actually. I removed the "color=transparent" HTM code from the bottom quarter of the article, after I noticed that the finished product didn't show any black letters after the final block-quote. It actually comes to a somewhat smoother when it doesn't look like this:
No Blood for Oil
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