PrintFebruary 2, 2011
The British Left's Betrayal of America
The latest revelations that Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government advised Libya on how to secure the release of the Lockerbie bomber may have destroyed the Anglo-American relationship.
Leftists, no matter where they are situated, appear to have a number of things in common -- one of which is a deep-seated hatred of the United States of America. Whether it be because the founding principles of the nation are deeply conservative or simply because of the extraordinary success that America has generated since its inception, the fact is that the hatred that leftists feel towards the U.S. leads to all sorts of bizarre, often shocking behavior.
This week's revelations from WikiLeaks have stunned even British commentators like myself who are acclimatized to the usual rabid anti-Americanism that infests the British left wing. It has been revealed that under the previous left-wing Labour government -- led by hard-left socialist Gordon Brown -- the British government not only made a deal with Libya to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on "compassionate grounds," but also actively coached the Libyans as to how to proceed legally with the case and obtain that release. This happened (as far as we can see) without the knowledge of our American allies.
The release of the Lockerbie bomber, which resulted in sickening celebrations in Libya when Megrahi returned, was already an international scandal that had shaken the already fragile Anglo-American relationship to its core. When Megrahi was released in 2009, the action was rightly condemned by President Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as over 80% of the American public. As Megrahi is still living, despite assurances that he would be dead within three months of his release, this decision has become more painful, and consequently more damaging to U.K.-U.S. relations the longer the terrorist lives.
However, yesterday's revelations that the Labour government -- as well as those outside the government, such as the Duke of York -- advised a terrorist nation how to sneak behind the backs of the Americans in order to secure the release of a terrorist responsible for the deaths of hundreds of British and American citizens is a devastating blow for the Anglo-American alliance. It will no doubt send shockwaves throughout Washington and London.
Possibly the most sickening of the revelations is the letter sent by Colonel Gadaffi to the British government after the release of Megrahi, who thanked his "friend Brown," the British prime minister, his government, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who "against all odds encouraged this brave decision."
Gadaffi then noted that U.K. efforts would positively affect "exchange" between the two countries. The implication is clear -- Britain had scratched Libya's back, and now Libya would scratch Britain's. Britain would be rewarded with lucrative oil contracts for having betrayed their American allies -- the blood money was secure.
While there is no doubt that it is a shock that the British government has denied justice to the families of the 233 British and American citizens who were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded, in a way, it should be no surprise that a left-wing government should be amenable to the idea of stabbing its American allies in the back.
Anti-Americanism is a vice that the British (and European) left have engaged in since the '60s. I had the curious privilege of studying politics at a left-wing university in Britain and became indifferent to the continual decrying of America as the "imperialist," "fascist" power responsible for the world's problems. Indeed, I remember signing up for my American Foreign Policy class, and the first book on the reading list was Blum's Rogue State -- a book with a recommendation from none other than Osama bin Laden!
While such war stories are fun to exchange over coffee with fellow conservatives, the fact is that many left-wing British politicians were formed in such environments, and while they may have learned how to hide their anti-American prejudice, it has only been hidden, not eliminated.
Therefore, when in 2008-2009 the Labour government was faced with the enormous national debt that it had racked up after spending billions of pounds on everything from socialized medicine (that's right -- it isn't any cheaper) to the thousands of schemes and initiatives designed to expand government, it had a choice: stay true to our American allies and our own principles of justice, or sell out the Americans and our principles for some extra money and better connections with Libya.
To anti-American leftist cowards like Gordon Brown and Kenny MacAskill, the choice was easy to make.
I, along with other British writers, have written extensively on how the Anglo-American relationship has been weakened considerably since the election of Barack Obama -- the most anti-British president in American history. It is not without irony, then, that the final blow that destroys the Anglo-American relationship may have originated from Great Britain.
Although he actively opposed the release of Megrahi, current Prime Minister David Cameron must come out immediately and apologize on behalf of the previous government for the betrayal of our allies and to the families of the 190 Americans who were killed in the Lockerbie bombing.
Unfortunately, with a president in office who seems determined to destroy the "special relationship" at all costs, I fear that any apology will be ignored and that this incident will serve only as an excuse for the most anti-British president in United States history to distance himself from the relationship that kept the West safe during both World War II and the Cold War.
It is important for those on the American right and the British right to work past the destruction that our left-wing leaders have initiated on our behalf and keep the relationship going that has kept our nations safe time and time again -- the relationship that Reagan and Thatcher recognized as vital to the safety of the world.
Adam Shaw is a conservative writer based in Manchester, England. His blog is The Anglo-American Debate. Follow him on Twitter: @ACShaw.
