Convicted Bomber Released but Lockerbie Case Far from Over
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Scotland has released the only man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Critics claim the British government was motivated by interest in Libya's oil reserves. Meantime, some observers still question the 2001 conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who's now being treated in Libya for terminal prostate cancer. How much will ever be known about the actual Lockerbie incident and the release of the man sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of 270 people? Sara Terry guest hosts. Also, NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan kill scores of people, and President Obama wants to be there on the first day of school, with a pep talk for the nation's students. Conservatives say no way.
Banner image: Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi arrives at Glasgow Airport to board a plane after arriving from Greenock Prison on August 20, 2009 in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: Danny Lawson - Pool/Getty Images
Making News
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In Afghanistan today, officials say a NATO air strike on two fuel trucks has killed up to ninety people. An investigation is being launched into whether civilians were among those killed. In the meantime, controversy over the recent elections continues to grow. Ben Arnoldy is the South Asia Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
Guests:
- Ben Arnoldy: South Asia Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor
Main Topic
Convicted Bomber Released but Lockerbie Case Far from Over ()
In 2001, Scottish judges convicted Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi and sentenced him to a minimum of 27 years for planting the bomb on Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 people in 1988. Two weeks ago, he was released and returned to Libya on compassionate grounds. According to Libyan officials, al-Megrahi, who's suffering from terminal prostate cancer, doesn't have long to live in a hospital in Tripoli. But the controversy surrounding his release from a Scottish prison isn't ending, with accusations growing that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pressured Scottish authorities for al-Megrahi's release to help improve relations with oil-rich Libya. What role did oil companies play? Did Britain break a promise to the US? What effect does al-Megrahi's release have on relations between the West and the Arab world?
Guests:
- Merril Stevenson: Britain Editor, Economist magazine
- Vincent Cannistraro: former Senior Intelligence Official, CIA
- Clare Connelly: Professor of Law, Glasgow University
- Walid Phares: Senior Fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
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Reporter's Notebook
Why Does the President Want to Brainwash Our Children? ()
President Obama has a back-to-school message for students, but they might have to stay home on the first day of school if they want to actually hear it. On Tuesday the President will make a live broadcast from Wakefield High School in Arlington Country, Virginia, encouraging school children to work hard at their studies. But conservatives are crying foul, and many school districts around the country have opted not to carry the speech. Steve Kornacki is a political columnist for the New York Observer.
Guests:
- Steve Kornacki: Political Columnist, New York Observer, @SteveKornacki
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