WikiLeaks Megrahi cables: Megrahi returns to Libya accompanied by Saif al-Islam

Published on Friday 3 June 2011 17:14

This is the text of a US diplomatic cable about the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, obtained by WikiLeaks and made available to The Scotsman.

21 AUGUST 2009 11:14

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000685

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/21/2019

TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ASEC, CASC, UK, LY

SUBJECT: MEGRAHI RETURNS TO LIBYA ACCOMPANIED BY SAIF AL-ISLAM

QADHAFI

REF: TRIPOLI 663

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CLASSIFIED BY: Joan Polaschik, CDA, U.S. Embassy Tripoli,

Department of State.

REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

1. (C) Summary: Convicted Pan Am 103 bomber Abdel Basset

al-Megrahi returned home to a warm welcome at Tripoli's Mitiga

Air Base August 20 at around 2045hrs. Accompanied by Qadhafi's

son and potential successor, Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, Megrahi

appeared frail as he emerged from a private plane owned by

quasi-independent Air Afriqiyah. Libyan Government

representatives were notably absent from the homecoming and

reportedly hastily removed a much larger throng of supporters

following POTUS' statement critical of Megrahi's return.

Although Libyan local press coverage of Megrahi's return was

low-key, a concurrent huge youth rally in downtown Tripoli --

technically unrelated to Megrahi's return -- created the

perception of a hero's welcome and certainly played to Qadhafi's

own domestic equities. Megrahi appears to have gone directly

from Metiga Air Base to his home, where he may have met Muammar

Qadhafi. The Libyan Government has not publicly responded to

POTUS' call for Megrahi to remain under house arrest. There was

no indication of anti-American or anti-Western sentiment in the

day's events. End Summary.

2. (SBU) Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi emerged from a private plane

owned by Libya's quasi-independent Afriqiyah Airlines at Mitiga

Air Base (former U.S. Wheelus Air Base), at 2045 local time on

August 20, wearing a fez and a white traditional Libyan outfit.

As he exited the plane, he supported Abdel Basset al-Megrahi,

raising his hand and acknowledging Megrahi's family and a large

crowd awaiting his arrival. The crowd of about 100 people,

mostly men, hailed Megrahi's return and carried Libyan and

Scottish flags and the ubiquitous press photo of a young

Megrahi. Notably, Megrahi was not greeted by Libyan Government

officials. In Saif's remarks to the press upon arrival, he

noted "our efforts have succeeded," citing evidence of Megrahi's

innocence, and thanking the Scottish Government for its

courageous decision. The arrival coincided with a text message

to all Libyana mobile phone network (one of two major carriers

in Libya) subscribers announcing the "release of the national

hero Megrahi," lauding him as the man who sacrificed himself so

that Libya could have sanctions lifted. Saif's television

station "Al Mutawassit" was the only Libyan channel given rights

to broadcast Megrahi's return. (Note: Embassy sources report

that local satellite networks did not carry the station, and

only those with international satellite receivers were able to

access the broadcast. End note.]

3. (C) An AP reporter who had been bussed into Metiga Air Base

-- along with other international correspondents -- to cover

Megrahi's return told us today that the Libyan Government

appeared to have dramatically shifted gears for its planned

welcome for Megrahi following POTUS' statement on Megrahi's

return. The international press corps was held on a bus for

more than three hours and not allowed access to the tarmac to

cover the return. The AP reporter said that he observed the

Libyan Government hastily removing "thousands" of people who had

gathered to welcome Megrahi while the Libyan Government kept the

plane closed and waiting on the tarmac for a more subdued

welcome scene. The GOL reportedly limited the crowd to

approximately 100-200 youth movement members (those seen on TV

wearing matching shirts and hats). The AP reporter believes

that the youth movement representatives were allowed to remain

on the scene as a nod to Saif al-Islam's involvement in the

return.

4. (C) At the same time Megrahi was landing at Metiga, a crowd

of thousands of Libyan youth gathered on Green Square in the

center of downtown Tripoli for the occasion of the "Fourth

Annual Youth Movement," sponsored by the Qadhafi International

Charity and Development Foundation (QDF), chaired by Saif

al-Islam Qadhafi. Embassy contacts who attended the rally

reported a heavy security presence and said that participants

were expecting Saif to deliver remarks, as he does annually, at

the event. Neither participants nor event organizers made

linkages between the Megrahi release and the rally. Embassy

contacts report that some participants did not realize that

Megrahi had been released from prison. Attendees were not

allowed to carry cell phones into the rally grounds and would

not have received the "Libyana" message of Megrahi's release

until after the event. The event, for which crowds of youth

began to gather at around 1900hrs, ended in an anti-climatic

fashion at around 2300hrs, without the anticipated speech by

Saif al-Islam. Independent website "Libya al-Youm" described

Saif's absence as "strange," although QDF Director Sawani had

told us August 16 that Saif al-Islam did not plan to attend the

rally (reftel). In an August 21 telephone conversation with the

Charge, QDF Executive Director Yusuf Sawani declined to comment

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on Saif's return to Libya with Megrahi or on the August 20

rally, telling us tersely and repeatedly that "everything that

happened was televised."

5. (C) Although rumors are swirling that Libyan leader Muammar

al-Qadhafi met Megrahi at some point after his return, we are

not able to confirm these reports. The Libyan press reported

that Qadhafi had been looking at economic projects in Sebha --

Megrahi's hometown -- on August 19, and Libyan Government

officials told the UK Ambassador (who had been seeking a meeting

with Qadhafi to deliver a message from PM Brown on this issue)

that Qadhafi had not returned to Tripoli by 1830 local time on

August 20. We assume that Qadhafi stayed in Sebha to greet

Megrahi in his hometown but do not yet have any information to

verify this assumption. Local press has not yet mentioned any

interaction between Muammar Qadhafi and Megrahi.

6. (SBU) Local press did not report on the U.S. position to

Megrahi's release or on President Obama's calls for Megrahi to

remain under house arrest. Rather, state-owned television

station "Al Jamahiriya" and Libyan news agency "JANA" reported

that Libya was "crowned" by Megrahi's release and return home

from Scotland. "JANA" noted that "the position of the

Jamahiriya that al-Megrahi should be released since he was a

political hostage has attracted widespread international

support," citing statements made in the past by the Arab League,

African Union, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Notably, Libyan

state-owned television did not carry live coverage of Megrahi's

return and covered the return only during late-night news

broadcasts, well after the actual event.

7. (C) Comment: The Libyan Government appears to be trying to

manage the optics of Megrahi's return for two different

audiences: the U.S. and Libya's own domestic constituencies.

By keeping Libyan Government officials away from Megrahi's

return at Metiga Air Base, hastily removing the assembled

throngs, and limiting live domestic coverage of the event, the

GOL may believe and argue that it technically has stuck to its

pledge that the welcome would be "low-key." Yet Saif al-Islam's

role in Megrahi's return, coupled with the huge --albeit

technically unrelated -- rally in downtown Tripoli, sends an

undeniable message of Qadhafi family (and hence Libyan

Government) involvement in and feting of Megrahi's return.

Qadhafi may well have felt that this second message was

important for his own domestic political considerations.

8. (C) Comment continued: As far as the Embassy is aware,

Megrahi was transported directly to his home after his arrival.

The government has not publicly responded to POTUS' call to

maintain Megrahi under house arrest. As August 21 marks the

first day of Ramadan, we suspect government officials will keep

a low-profile during the day, although evening television

programming -- widely watched during Ramadan -- may reveal more

information about the Libyan Government's posture. We will

continue to monitor and report on the situation. End Comment.

POLASCHIK