Obama Administration "Deeply Disappointed" Lockerbie Bomber Released

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration said Thursday it regrets Scotland's decision to release the Libyan man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 people.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the United States had repeatedly asked Scotland to keep Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in custody. Gibbs said: "On this day, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who live every day with the loss of their loved ones."

The State Department released a brief statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is on vacation, saying she is "deeply disappointed" by the decision to release al-Megrahi.

" We have continued to communicate our long-standing position to UK government officials and Scottish authorities that Megrahi should serve out the entirety of his sentence in Scotland," Clinton said.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the order to release al-Megrahi grew out of the convicted bomber's deteriorating health. He has prostate cancer and is not expected to live much longer.

He had served only eight years of a life sentence in Scotland for the December 21, 1988, bombing over the town of Lockerbie.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS lead to correct to Obama administration.)

Comments

[Observer1]

12:09 AM on 08/31/2009

Everybody knew about this bomber's release for several months.
England needed the release as part of an oil deal.
Scotland is financially maintained by England.
The US is leading the cartel to bring Libya back into the fold.
So everybody had time to prepare their stories and plant evidence to support their claims.
Except nobody told the Libyans.So they packed the Airport and celebrated

Amazing! Imagine Libya was preparing a 5-acre estate for Gadhafi's UN visit in New Jersey exactly where most of the American victims lived. As if to say "Up yours,America".
And Gadhafi's son says: "It's time to move on". He must be an American legislator.

Saddam Hussein II ! Wait for it.

[yankeetwo]

03:43 AM on 08/24/2009

I'd have to say, the Americans have no right to complain about al-Megrahi's release after 8 years behind bars, in the last few weeks of his life due to terminal cancer.

As recently revived in the press, in 1969 American 2nd Lt. William Calley was convicted of ordering and participating in the slaughter of up to 504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children. Imagine taking large groups of small children and babies out to a drainage ditch and machine gunning them to death?

That's what Lt. Calley did. His life sentence was immediately commuted to house arrest by Pres. Richard Nixon, and 3 1/2 years later he was freed by the President. Apparently Americans demand retribution when the victims are their own, but slaughtering little Vietnamese children is barely a crime at all...

[pooperhagen]

06:50 PM on 08/20/2009

the lockerbie bomber should be hung from his cancerous prostate,not treated for it...

[believethelie]

12:39 AM on 08/24/2009

How about the guys who set him free?