Friday, August 21, 2009 CAIRO: The Arab League has welcomed the release of a terminally ill Libyan convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, it was reported today."The Arab League welcomes the Scottish court decision to release (Abdel Baset al-) Megrahi, taking into consideration his serious health condition," assistant secretary-general Ahdmed Bin Hilli was quoted as saying.He said the decision came after lengthy Libyan diplomatic efforts. Bin Hilli voiced hope the release "would constitute a new page in the Lockerbie crisis and that Libya would receive compensation for its suffering during the years of ongoing sanctions as a result of this crisis". In 2003, Libya agreed to pay $US2.7 billion in compensation to Lockerbie relatives, paving the way for a thawing of relations with the West. Megrahi, the only person ever convicted over the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people, arrived home today just hours after being freed on compassionate grounds. The Libyan has a highly aggressive form of prostate cancer and medical experts give him only months to live.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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