Thanks, Penny, for recalling those magnificent words of Portia's.

Open Mike, unlike the American whose ship blew an airliner out of the sky killing 290 innocent people, Megrahi was NOT given a hero's welcome. Most people in Libya (like many people around the world who are not dumb Americans and are not writing headlines for the brainless element of the British news media) believe Megrahi was wrongly convicted. Why wouldn't they want to celebrate his release?

Megrahi surely could have had a hero's welcome, simply by boasting, once he was free and safely back in Libya, that he had in fact done the deed. But far from that, he continued to protest his innocence as he has done from the outset. (The late Paul Foot, who wrote one of the articles linked above, and was greatly involved in exposing misscarriages of justice, came to the conclusion - albeit based on nothing more scientific than a wealth of empirical evidence - that most of those who continue protesting their innocence years after being "banged to rights" very probably ARE innocent.)

In contrast to some of the ranting US voices we have heard of late, I offer this from Megrahi himself:

Many people, including the relatives of those who died in, and over, Lockerbie, are, I know, upset that my appeal has come to an end; that nothing more can be done about the circumstances surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.

I share their frustration. I had most to gain and nothing to lose about the whole truth coming out - until my diagnosis of cancer.

To those victims' relatives who can bear to hear me say this: they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the unimaginable loss that they have suffered.

To those who bear me ill will, I do not return that to you.

Poor USA, put to shame by an evil Libyan! Here's his statement in full.)