THE COMPANY THAT YOU KEEP...

Gaddafi and friend

News that the director of the London School of Economics Sir Howard Davies has submitted his resignation after admitting an "error of judgement" in establishing links between the LSE and the brutally repressive regime of Colonel Gaddafi. Oops - for soon to be former LSE director had visited Libya to advise the regime about financial reforms and had accepted a £300,000 donation from the Libyan leader's second son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (who counts Prince Andrew, Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson and Nat Rothschild as friends) for research at the LSE.

How times change barely a few weeks ago the Libyan leaders son, Saif al-Islam, was busy socialising with the creme de la creme of British society, now his former friends and business associates in the west are scuttling for the shadows and are deeply embarrassed, and no doubt will soon never even admit ever spending time with the Libyans. If you take this to its logical extent then questions need to be asked about the relationship between educational institutions (and Government) and funds from brutal, despotic and undemocratic regimes (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Peoples Republic of China, Iran, etc). There are a few University's here in Wales that had been the recipient of donations form particularly unsavoury regimes...

SILENCE IS GORDON

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Libya supplied guns and explosives to the IRA, and the families of their victims want the country to face up to its responsibilities. Now Relatives of IRA terrorist victims have once again renewed their calls for compensation from Libya following the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The relatives are calling on the Libyan leader to demonstrate the same compassion shown to Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi; the terminally-ill bomber was released from a Scottish prison last week. Families of victims killed by Libyan weapons believe their hand has been strengthened by Megrahi's release, which has caused a political and diplomatic row on both sides of the Atlantic.

Relatives have called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support the families in their quest. Libya was once a sponsor of worldwide terrorism, including support for the IRA, but its leaders and the country and has come in from the cold. Back in 2003, Libya took responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which claimed 270 lives, mostly American. It also abandoned efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction. Five years later, Col Gaddafi reached a final compensation agreement with the US over Lockerbie and other bombings.

What was that Gordon? The sound of silence perhaps…would not want to upset the lucrative trade and energy deals would we…