Fairy lights are strung along the route to Saif al Islam al Gaddafi’s home, west of Tripoli.
It is 10pm at night, but the city skyline is sparkling ahead of the 40th anniversary celebrations next Tuesday of his father’s ascent to power.
Before we reach his house in the countryside, there are countless small road blocks, but they make for a stark contrast to the warm welcome at his red stone villa.
Personable, relaxed, smiling, Mr al Gaddafi welcomes us with open arms. We sit and drink hot tea from tiny translucent glasses embossed with gold leaves and semi-precious stones, beneath high-arched ceilings covered in beautiful mosaic tiling.
It is difficult to know what to expect of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s son, but this is not it.
The second eldest son of the Libyan leader, Mr al Gaddafi has become the public face of the country in the West. Tipped to succeed his father, he has consistently denied this ambition and said that Libya is not his country to “inherit”.
For the past eight years, he has worked quietly to get Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, home to Tripoli. Last week, he was understandably delighted with the news that Megrahi was to be released on compassionate grounds, but he is now concerned at the “misunderstandings” that have followed, with victims’ relatives and politicians across the globe lining up to attack Kenny MacAskill for the decision, and Gordon Brown for not stating his case.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/i-think-the-scottish-justice-secretary-is-a-great-man-why-be-so-angry-about-an-innocent-man-who-is-dying-1.825026
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