Is the special relationship about to end

I saw something in the news about British politicians are being requested to appear before a hearing in Washington DC and they are to testify about the release of the Lockerbie bomber. I think this could be tricky. Already one person has declined the invitation.

Do you think the US politicians are going too far by asking for British officials to come before a Senate committee?

I don't see a problem with asking.  It isn't as if they can compel them.

I don't see a problem with asking.  It isn't as if they can compel them.

Same

They are investigating an issue and it is customary to call the people involved, regardless of nationality.

No, they can ask, and hopefully all the officials will politely decline.

I had more of an issue with 4 senators "demanding" a meeting with the PM, I really wish he'd declined it (he originally did) but I guess he thought that would be viewed as "having something to hide". But I couldn't help thinking what reaction there would have been had 4 MP's demanded a meeting with the US President during a State visit....short shrift I'd bet.

I agree, i think the whole BP bashing thing in the states is getting out of hand. Megrahi was released over a year ago and there was none of the frenzy about a senate hearing then that there is now. The only reason for what's happening is the Senators see this as just another way to go after BP. That's their primary motivation and i believe they are cynically using the grief of Lockerbie victims families to further it.

BP should rightly take responsibly for the damage they have caused with the oil spill however it's rather hypocritical of the US government to go after them when you compare how US and other companies that have caused similar disasters have acted. I dont recall $20 billion being put aside to compensate victims of the Bhopal and Exxon disasters within 6 weeks of them happening. BP quite rightly should be hammered hard for what they have done but they are not responsible for everything that's bad in the world.

It is not the place of the US or any other countries government to expect attendance and explanation from the judiciary of another country to justify its decisions - they should be told this politely, but perhaps a little more firmly.

Unfortunately, it seems to whipping up more anti-america talk in Britain.

I've just been reading the comments on the digitalspy forums and they are not good.

The only reason for what's happening is the Senators see this as just another way to go after BP. That's their primary motivation and i believe they are cynically using the grief of Lockerbie victims families to further it.

I think the motivation is that you have 4 Democrat senators in an election year probably worried about losing their seats. So they see this as a way of bolstering their popularity.

Hilariously, this piece of shameless grandstanding has had to be postponed because no one wanted to show up.