[News] from [guardian.co.uk]
[Abdelbaset al-Megrahi]
Government forced to deny Lockerbie bomber trade dealBusiness secretary says there was no bargaining over Megrahi's release as anger grows in London, Washington and Scotland
Staff and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 22 August 2009 16.38 BST Article history
The business secretary, Lord Mandelson, has denied any trade deal was made between Libya and Britain over the freeing of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, describing the allegations as "offensive".
The government has come under increasing pressure over claims by the son of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, that the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was linked to negotiations over oil and gas. Opposition parties said the claims left ministers with "serious questions" to answer.
Speaking as he left hospital after prostate surgery, Mandelson said: "It's not only completely wrong to make such a suggestion, it's also quite offensive."
Mandelson said he had met Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif, twice this year and no deal was done. "As I have already stated, on both occasions Mr Gaddafi raised the issue of the Libyan prisoner in Scotland's release as all representatives of the Libyan government do.
"They had the same response from me as they would have had from any other member of the government.
"The issue of the prisoner's release was entirely a matter for the Scottish justice minister. That is how it was left, that is how it was well understood."
He said it was a matter devolved to Scotland and there was "no agreement between the Libyan government and the British government".
"It has been a matter entirely for the Scottish justice minister to exercise his discretion."
The shadow foreign minister David Lidington said it was essential that Gordon Brown himself answer the questions as to whether British ministers had at any time suggested or requested that Megrahi be released or transferred to a Libyan jail.
Lidington challenged the government to release official civil service notes of the relevant meetings between ministers and the Libyans.
"I think there are some serious questions to be asked," he told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
"It is very important, I think, for the reputation of our institutions of justice that it is made clear beyond any doubt that this was not connected with some political trade."
Libyan television showed Gaddafi meeting Megrahi and praising "my friend" Gordon Brown and the British government for their part in securing his freedom. The meeting defied calls by Gordon Brown and Barack Obama for Megrahi's return to be handled in a low-key fashion.
"To my friends in Scotland, the Scottish National party and Scottish prime minister, and the foreign secretary, I praise their courage for having proved their independence in decision making despite the unacceptable and unreasonable measures that they faced. Nevertheless they took this courageously right and humanitarian decision," he said.
"And I say to my friend Brown, the prime minister of Britain, his government, the Queen of Britain, Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who all contributed to encouraging the Scottish government to take this historic and courageous decision, despite the obstacles."
Mandelson criticised the scenes of celebration in Libya at Megrahi's return. "It's very insensitive. You just have to think about what is going through the minds of the families who have lost loved ones in a terrible tragedy."
Lord Mandelson praised the NHS after his "very successful" operation for an enlarged prostate gland. As he left St Mary's hospital in Paddington, west London, he thanked staff who treated him.
"I have been treated really well in the hospital. Everything is now flowing extremely well. Actually I have had a jolly time. I am very proud to be an NHS patient."
[Afghanistan]
Taliban chop off Afghan voters' fingers
European election monitors accused of staying away as threats of violence curtail voter turnout in south
Jon Boone, Kabul
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 22 August 2009 16.44 BST Article history
New evidence of violence against Afghan voters have emerged as election observers confirmed that Taliban fanatics in the south of Afghanistan hacked off the fingers of at least two people who dared to vote in last week's elections.
The country's biggest election monitoring organisation said the Taliban carried out the long-threatened punishment in Kandahar province soon after the voters cast their ballots on Thursday, after which right index fingers were inked to prevent anybody voting again.
Nader Nadery, head of the Free and Fair Elections Foundation (FEFA), said the brutal attacks were only two instances of the violence meted out before and during polling day. Frequent rocket attacks, harassment of election officials and the burning of polling stations in the south were also reported. The violence kept the turnout down to worryingly low levels in the region.
General Phillipe Morillon, head of the European Union observation mission, said that while the election was largely fair, "it was not free in some parts of the territory due to terror ".
Official information on turnout, as well as which candidate is in the lead, will not be released until Tuesday. However, estimates have ranged between 10 and 30 per cent for voter participation in the south. Other election observers have warned that violence in the south also limited the amount of direct monitoring of polling stations where electoral fraud is likely to be highest.
The European Union, which has only 120 observers in place, said it managed to visit just six locations in the volatile south. Those that did go there embedded themselves with Nato forces who have extremely strict security rules preventing observers moving around.
A team in Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, did not even set foot outside the Dutch base in the town and had to satisfy themselves with observing polling at a voting centre reserved for Afghan National Army soldiers.
During a press conference today Colonel Morillon said security for his observers had been his top priority. He angrily denied "hostile" questions by Afghan journalists that his staff had failed to go out on the ground. He said the presence of so many European observers at one of Kabul's best hotels, the hilltop Intercontinental, showed willingness to "live among the Afghan population".
Other observer groups were also severely restricted in the number of people they were able to field in the south.
The National Democratic Institute warned that "many of the most serious election-related problems are likely to take place in areas of the country that are the least accessible to observers".
With all ballots now counted, attention is turning to whether the election will pass an important credibility test in the south, which is the home to both the Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, and much of the Taliban's support network. The observer missions made damning remarks about how Afghanistan's second ever presidential election has been conducted so far.
The EU report said the Independent Election Commission was perceived as biased by many Afghans as its seven commissioners were all appointed by President Hamid Karzai. It also said state media had shown a "clear bias in favour of President Karzai".
The NDI said that a shambolic pre-election voter registration drive created a "grossly inaccurate" electoral roll as people were easily able to register more than once or even to include the names of non-existent people on the list. It also said the Election Complaints Commission, the independent body for investigating voting irregularities, did not have time to prepare for the elections.
The ECC failed to make adjudication about one apparent infringements of the election regulation that state officials should remain impartial. A number of influential figures appeared to support Karzai, including the governor of Nangahar province, the head of the IEC in Kandahar and the director of the enormously powerful Independent Directorate of Local Governance.
Grant Kippen, the Canadian head of the ECC, said it had been unable to finish its investigation of the claims before polling day, which he conceded was too late to make any difference. The body has received 120 complaints, including ballot box stuffing in Kandahar province.
One western observer who specialises in elections in developing countries said the ECC had "contributed about as much to a free and fair election as a fart in a hurricane".
[Abdelbaset al-Megrahi]
Government forced to deny Lockerbie bomber trade dealBusiness secretary says there was no bargaining over Megrahi's release as anger grows in London, Washington and Scotland
Staff and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 22 August 2009 16.38 BST Article history
The business secretary, Lord Mandelson, has denied any trade deal was made between Libya and Britain over the freeing of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, describing the allegations as "offensive".
The government has come under increasing pressure over claims by the son of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, that the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was linked to negotiations over oil and gas. Opposition parties said the claims left ministers with "serious questions" to answer.
Speaking as he left hospital after prostate surgery, Mandelson said: "It's not only completely wrong to make such a suggestion, it's also quite offensive."
Mandelson said he had met Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif, twice this year and no deal was done. "As I have already stated, on both occasions Mr Gaddafi raised the issue of the Libyan prisoner in Scotland's release as all representatives of the Libyan government do.
"They had the same response from me as they would have had from any other member of the government.
"The issue of the prisoner's release was entirely a matter for the Scottish justice minister. That is how it was left, that is how it was well understood."
He said it was a matter devolved to Scotland and there was "no agreement between the Libyan government and the British government".
"It has been a matter entirely for the Scottish justice minister to exercise his discretion."
The shadow foreign minister David Lidington said it was essential that Gordon Brown himself answer the questions as to whether British ministers had at any time suggested or requested that Megrahi be released or transferred to a Libyan jail.
Lidington challenged the government to release official civil service notes of the relevant meetings between ministers and the Libyans.
"I think there are some serious questions to be asked," he told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
"It is very important, I think, for the reputation of our institutions of justice that it is made clear beyond any doubt that this was not connected with some political trade."
Libyan television showed Gaddafi meeting Megrahi and praising "my friend" Gordon Brown and the British government for their part in securing his freedom. The meeting defied calls by Gordon Brown and Barack Obama for Megrahi's return to be handled in a low-key fashion.
"To my friends in Scotland, the Scottish National party and Scottish prime minister, and the foreign secretary, I praise their courage for having proved their independence in decision making despite the unacceptable and unreasonable measures that they faced. Nevertheless they took this courageously right and humanitarian decision," he said.
"And I say to my friend Brown, the prime minister of Britain, his government, the Queen of Britain, Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who all contributed to encouraging the Scottish government to take this historic and courageous decision, despite the obstacles."
Mandelson criticised the scenes of celebration in Libya at Megrahi's return. "It's very insensitive. You just have to think about what is going through the minds of the families who have lost loved ones in a terrible tragedy."
Lord Mandelson praised the NHS after his "very successful" operation for an enlarged prostate gland. As he left St Mary's hospital in Paddington, west London, he thanked staff who treated him.
"I have been treated really well in the hospital. Everything is now flowing extremely well. Actually I have had a jolly time. I am very proud to be an NHS patient."
[Afghanistan]
Taliban chop off Afghan voters' fingers
European election monitors accused of staying away as threats of violence curtail voter turnout in south
Jon Boone, Kabul
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 22 August 2009 16.44 BST Article history
New evidence of violence against Afghan voters have emerged as election observers confirmed that Taliban fanatics in the south of Afghanistan hacked off the fingers of at least two people who dared to vote in last week's elections.
The country's biggest election monitoring organisation said the Taliban carried out the long-threatened punishment in Kandahar province soon after the voters cast their ballots on Thursday, after which right index fingers were inked to prevent anybody voting again.
Nader Nadery, head of the Free and Fair Elections Foundation (FEFA), said the brutal attacks were only two instances of the violence meted out before and during polling day. Frequent rocket attacks, harassment of election officials and the burning of polling stations in the south were also reported. The violence kept the turnout down to worryingly low levels in the region.
General Phillipe Morillon, head of the European Union observation mission, said that while the election was largely fair, "it was not free in some parts of the territory due to terror ".
Official information on turnout, as well as which candidate is in the lead, will not be released until Tuesday. However, estimates have ranged between 10 and 30 per cent for voter participation in the south. Other election observers have warned that violence in the south also limited the amount of direct monitoring of polling stations where electoral fraud is likely to be highest.
The European Union, which has only 120 observers in place, said it managed to visit just six locations in the volatile south. Those that did go there embedded themselves with Nato forces who have extremely strict security rules preventing observers moving around.
A team in Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, did not even set foot outside the Dutch base in the town and had to satisfy themselves with observing polling at a voting centre reserved for Afghan National Army soldiers.
During a press conference today Colonel Morillon said security for his observers had been his top priority. He angrily denied "hostile" questions by Afghan journalists that his staff had failed to go out on the ground. He said the presence of so many European observers at one of Kabul's best hotels, the hilltop Intercontinental, showed willingness to "live among the Afghan population".
Other observer groups were also severely restricted in the number of people they were able to field in the south.
The National Democratic Institute warned that "many of the most serious election-related problems are likely to take place in areas of the country that are the least accessible to observers".
With all ballots now counted, attention is turning to whether the election will pass an important credibility test in the south, which is the home to both the Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, and much of the Taliban's support network. The observer missions made damning remarks about how Afghanistan's second ever presidential election has been conducted so far.
The EU report said the Independent Election Commission was perceived as biased by many Afghans as its seven commissioners were all appointed by President Hamid Karzai. It also said state media had shown a "clear bias in favour of President Karzai".
The NDI said that a shambolic pre-election voter registration drive created a "grossly inaccurate" electoral roll as people were easily able to register more than once or even to include the names of non-existent people on the list. It also said the Election Complaints Commission, the independent body for investigating voting irregularities, did not have time to prepare for the elections.
The ECC failed to make adjudication about one apparent infringements of the election regulation that state officials should remain impartial. A number of influential figures appeared to support Karzai, including the governor of Nangahar province, the head of the IEC in Kandahar and the director of the enormously powerful Independent Directorate of Local Governance.
Grant Kippen, the Canadian head of the ECC, said it had been unable to finish its investigation of the claims before polling day, which he conceded was too late to make any difference. The body has received 120 complaints, including ballot box stuffing in Kandahar province.
One western observer who specialises in elections in developing countries said the ECC had "contributed about as much to a free and fair election as a fart in a hurricane".
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