Sunday 28 August 2011

LIBYA JUST SIX DAYS ON

Here, it is August Bank Holiday and there is revelry and happiness in the streets all across Britain, with the beauty of the Notting Hill Carnival and the air of multi-culturalism throughout the land. This is how it should be. Inclusive of all peoples, races, genders and persuasions.

We have a newfound confidence too, in dealing with corruption and down facing those who would seek to exploit and to blackmail. As a democratic people we are going about that in an orderly, albeit sometimes, hazardous fashion, but hey ho, we get there in the end.

In Libya, as I have said so many times in these dispatches, the democratic freedoms that we take for granted, others have paid the highest price - their lives.

As the BBC goes about its business reporting to us all just what is going on in Tripoli and Libya generally, the terrifying reality of mass executions, of people being gunned down where they stand, of up to 50,000 prisoners unaccounted for, and the realisation that a tyrant who gave himself an army rank, not only used his country's wealth to build himself palaces, but more ominously underground tunnels and compounds and prisons.

The problem, one of many, that the new Libyan Government faces is pinpointing these underground sites. Furthermore, in time to prevent those incarcerated also losing their lives.

There is much pressure upon the new government to deal with 'unfinished business' in the form of the Lockerbie Bombing. Let us ease up on this. Neither the US or UK Governments are requesting the return of the convicted terrorist. He was lawfully tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Scottish Parliament exercised its humanitarian powers and allowed the man to return to Libya. That is that. That he is still alive 2 years after he had been expected to live for only 3 months is neither here nor there. The requests or demands for his return and retrial come from organisations, not governments. And the Libyan Government should not have to worry about being pressured on this.

Conversely, there should be no negotiation at all about bringing Gadaffi before the International Criminal Court. He must be tried for crimes against humanity, and I suspect he will receive a far fairer trial than any he would give to any who opposed him during his tyranny. But as with all despots, his days are numbered. For his own sake, I pray that when he is found, that the international media are also present, as well as observers, to safeguard him.

There must be no room for summary justice. An emerging democratic people must remember this, for in so doing, they will earn the respect and admiration of all peace loving people, and that in turn will lead to greater immediate aid being given to the Libyan People.


Ian Bradley Marshall
Liverpool

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