Suspicions on Lockerbie decision

The release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, came under the scrutiny of Arab press commentators over the weekend. Pundits questioned the true motives behind the decision and whether it was related to Western business interests in Libya.

Doubts

Hanan al-Badri in the United Arab Emirates' daily Al-Khalij said the release was "politically timed" as the US and UK were "looking forward to completely monopolizing Libya's petroleum resources". He also suggested that indignation at the release had been "fabricated" by the media.

Megrahi's return saw jubilant scenes on the runway in Tripoli

Her views were echoed by Rafiq Khuri, editor-in-chief of Lebanon's Al-Anwar, who said the British government had not intervened for fear of jeopardising the UK's commercial interests in Libya. "It is true that Scottish law allows the release of terminally-ill prisoners. It is also true, however, that the British government let the [Scottish] minister play the game it felt comfortable with," Khuri wrote, indicating that the UK had initiated "direct contacts" with Libya.

In an article for the London-based Elaph website, Abd-al-Aziz Mahmud also spoke of a "deal" between the UK and Libya. "The first indication of the imminent Lockerbie compromise came in 2007 when British Petroleum signed a $900m drilling contract with Libya," Mahmud said. "Whether the UK encouraged this release or turned a blind eye to it, it is certain that Scotland has done what the UK was hoping for" he wrote.

Libyan diplomacy praised

Some Arab commentators praised the Libyan regime for what they saw as its diplomatic prowess.

Writing in Algeria's El-Khabar, Hafith Swalili said Libya had showed "political realism" by offering "tactical concessions" to Western countries.

Ahmad Thubiyan in Qatar's Al-Rayah praised Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi, saying he had "reminded the West of its double standards".

Arab reaction criticized

Some Arab editorials, however, directed their criticisms closer to home and disagreed with the jubilant welcome al-Megrahi received upon his return to Libya.

"He was celebrated as if he was heading back to his country with a Nobel peace prize," Subhi Fu'ad wrote on Elaph. "This is not the first nor the last time that killers and criminals of the calibre of Mohammed Atta, Osama Bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and al-Zarqawi are honoured and praised by some Arab people and governments."

Rafiq Khuri agreed in Al-Anwar. "The issue lies not in the West's hypocrisy as much as it lies with the Middle East's recklessness with regards to humanitarian values," he wrote. "Every prisoner or convict in the West receives a hero's welcome upon his return home."

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