Netanyahu’s London Visit Flies Under the Radar
He flew in to London on Sunday, as part of a four-day European trip. Many expected lengthy tirades against him in the media, but none have been forthcoming – maybe because he is said to be coming around to a settlement freeze, or perhaps because many journalists are away on their summer vacations. Nobody expected flattering articles, and there haven’t been any. In fact, the press has paid scant attention to his trip … with the exception of one angle.
Britain is up in arms about the premature release of Lockerbie bomber Abdul Baset al-Megrahi, He was released earlier this week after serving just eight years of a life sentence handed down by Scottish judges of 270 counts of murder for his part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The decision to free him was taken by Scottish Parliament, which has devolved powers in Scotland even though Scotland is governed in many matters by London.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had seriously frustrated the British public by refusing to comment on the decision. Then today, after meeting with Netanyahu, at a joint Brown-Netanyahu press conference he broke his silence, distanced his government from the move, and spoke of his “angry and repulsed” at the scenes of jubilation in Tripoli. Video and text is video available at the Times of London.
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