Another touch of arrogance from US Senators

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-10727266

Extract:

Scottish ministers and officials will not attend a US Senate hearing about the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The foreign relations committee wanted Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and the Scottish Prison Service's medical chief, Dr Andrew Fraser, to be present.

Senators have also invited Westminster former justice secretary Jack Straw.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward has been asked to attend after allegations that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's release was linked to an oil deal.

It was reported that former UK prime minister Tony Blair had been invited to the hearing, but the Senate committee has apologised that a draft letter to Mr Blair was published in error. A committee spokesman has since said Mr Blair will not be invited to appear.

Mr Straw said: "Before coming to any decision as to whether to accept this invitation, I shall be consulting Gordon Brown, as prime minister at the time, and seeking the advice of the Foreign Office."
A BP spokesman said: "We have received the invitation and we are considering it."
A spokesperson for the Scottish government confirmed that the invite to Mr MacAskill and Dr Fraser had been turned down.

With regard to the last sentence, and bloody well rightly so!!

Who do these people think they are, "inviting" the Scottish Justice Minister, former UK Justice Minister Jack Straw, and BP's CEO Tony Hayward, and possibly even Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to attend a "US Senate hearing" about the release of the Lockerbie bomber. I consider such requests presumptuous and arrogant in the extreme. The world is not accountable to the US Administration. Nor are British Government ministers "accountable" to US senators. And it's about time they understood that. Tell them to "bog off" and in less polite terms.

Obama has raised the situation with British PM David Cameron, who gave his response. As well as saying that he considered the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber was a wrong one, or less than wise one, he went on to say that whilst BP had lobbied the British Government in Westminster, the decision had been taken solely by the Scottish office and based on compassionate grounds. That's where the matter should end.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10682183

Don't get me wrong here, I do realise that a great many Americans were killed in the Lockerbie bombing, and I realise that the US has an understandable vested interest in seeing justice fully implemented and followed through. Indeed as far as I'm concerned the perpetrator(s) should be hung drawn and quartered".

What I do however object to is this, as I perceive it, "arrogance" in US Senators summoning whoever from wherever to apparently explain and account for their actions to them and those present....... And in a hearing, I might add, that based on past performance with BP CEO Tony Hayward, looked more like a circus, with a myriad of press and TV there with their cameras thrust in the face of what can only be described as someone being treated like the "accused" and already "guilty" person, being barracked, heckled and abused by those present, including some of the panel of Senators, and it wasn't even a court of law!!

I thought the whole charade arrogant and disgraceful.

Arjay, I get the impression that you do not believe that the sun shines out of ALL Americans ar#e holes. You should know that when they sneeze we are all expected to come down with pneumonia, they say 'jump' and your expected to say 'how high?' Shame on you, I mean to say they are the worlds police men and you should show some respect.

As for me! I'd tell em all to drop on their heads.

Rest assured, Gentleman, the senate will fall flat on it's face as it did in May 2005 when British MP George Galloway was subpoenaed.
I have never seen an individual so bogged down in a morass of ignorance and embarrassment as Senator "Norm" Coleman.
Ignominious

Pure arrogance!They love to get their fingers in every pie.As Churchill said "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried every other option"

Another tempest in a teapot. What you Brits have to understand is that America is facing an election in November, and the Democrats are running scared, as polls are showing an imminent massive defeat for the Democrats. That is really the cause of all the grandstanding on the BP disaster, as pointed out in another thread. They are now hoping to use this disaster to tie BP into the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

Grasping at straws, they are desperate for some issue to take the public mind off of the astounding failed policies of the current administration, despite having the presidency and overwhelming majorities in both houses of Congress. I note that the main instigators of this are Senators Kerry, Gillibrand and Schumer, flaming liberals who are running scared. Nothing can boost a politicians ego more than a headline grabbing "congressional investigation". Demagoguery at its worst, but sadly that's a way of life in American politics.

where would you people be if that arrogant u.s. senate didn't act on your behalf during wwii ??? you'd be speaking german today and begging for them to come save you again.

But Jimbo LV, are you really suggesting that this "arrogance" is coming from only one particular political party, and for "political" reasons, to further their political careers or prospects? If so, I can't really believe that. To me it sounds more of a widespread arrogance, be it only from politicians, or more likely emanating from a wider US "culture" of arrogance. I don't know.

Nola, are you feeling defensive here, as you're talking irrelevant rubbish.

I don't believe Roosevelt or his Senators summoned to the US Senate, Churchill or any of his cabinet to explain or account for their actions or decisions in a given situation. Respect was given to each other for each others independence and decisions. Surely its as simple as that, - and that GB is a separate country to the US and is not accountable to the US for actions that individual members of its Government take. Or more importantly who the F---- are US Senators to in effect "summon" UK Government officials to the US to explain or justify something. As far as I can see it's presumptuous, arrogant, impertinent and a damn cheek, and I can't see how anyone can justify it.

NOLA wrote:where would you people be if that arrogant u.s. senate didn't act on your behalf during wwii ??? you'd be speaking german today and begging for them to come save you again.

With a comment like this, is it any wonder that Americans, (some), are so disliked throughout the world?

Does anyone know? If the senate "summons" someone, do they pay full first class airfares and put you up in a five star hotel with all expenses paid and compensate you for your wasted time? If so, I would be happy to be summonsed.

arjay wrote:But Jimbo LV, are you really suggesting that this "arrogance" is coming from only one particular political party, and for "political" reasons, to further their political careers or prospects? If so, I can't really believe that. To me it sounds more of a widespread arrogance, be it only from politicians, or more likely emanating from a wider US "culture" of arrogance. I don't know.

Yes arjay that is what I am suggesting. Just my opinion, but based on years of observing how American politics work, and being involved in a couple of Congressional investigations that were based solely on upcoming elections, and which mysteriously disappeared after the election. As far as the "culture of arrogance" it doesn't begin to match the arrogance displayed by some (not all) of the Brits on here, some of which were calling for Bush and Cheney to be called to account by some international court.

I totally agree with you that WWII is totally irrelevant to this issue.

Jackspratt, somewhat off topic but I doubt very much that the Dems will be very happy with the loss of 30 House seats and 7 Senate seats, being that, due to the rules of both bodies, they will be unable to pass any legislation that has any opposition at all. In fact neither of the two (2) "domestic triumphs" mentioned would have passed without the overwhelming Democratic majority that was able to shut off debate. Even so, they both had extensive revisions and ended up much weaker than what was initially proposed.

Yes arjay that is what I am suggesting. Just my opinion, but based on years of observing how American politics work, and being involved in a couple of Congressional investigations that were based solely on upcoming elections, and which mysteriously disappeared after the election. As far as the "culture of arrogance" it doesn't begin to match the arrogance displayed by some (not all) of the Brits on here, some of which were calling for Bush and Cheney to be called to account by some international court.

Why is it arrogant to call for war criminals to be held to account by the International Court of Justice? Surely they should be held accountable for their actions, don't you agree? By the way, Blair and Howard were also included in that contemptible little group.