FBI Director Outraged By Lockerbie Bomber Release

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Robert Mueller sharply criticized Scotland's justice minister for releasing the Lockerbie bomber, an act that "gives comfort to terrorists" all over the world.

Mueller sent a letter to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who cited compassionate grounds in his decision to let Abdel Baset al-Megrahi return to Libya because he has prostate cancer and was given only months to live by British doctors.

The angry tone of the letter is out of character with the normally reserved Mueller, indicating his outrage is personal as well as professional. He also sent copies to the families of the Lockerbie victims.

"I have made it a practice not to comment on the actions of other prosecutors," Mueller wrote. "Your decision to release Megrahi causes me to abandon that practice in this case. I do so because I am familiar with the facts, and the law. ... And I do so because I am outraged at your decision, blithely defended on the grounds of 'compassion.'"

Before he became FBI director, Mueller spent years as a Justice Department lawyer leading the investigation into the 1988 airplane bombing that killed 270 people, most of them Americans.

Mueller said Thursday's release was "as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law."

His letter was dated Friday, and was made public Saturday.

Releasing the convicted bomber "gives comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless of the quality of the investigation ... the terrorist will be freed by one man's exercise of 'compassion.'"

Story continues below

advertisement

A statement from Scotland's government on Saturday noted Mueller has "strong views" because of his involvement in the case. "But he should also be aware that while many families have opposed Mr. MacAskill's decision, many others have supported it," the statement said.

Bert Ammerman of River Vale, N.J., who lost his brother Tom Ammerman in the bombing, praised Mueller for the "frankness and honesty" in his condemnation of the release.

Mueller recounted his own emotional experiences leading the investigation – seeing a teenage victim's single sneaker, a Syracuse University sweatshirt, toys in the suitcase of a businessman heading home to see his wife and children for Christmas.

"Your action," he wrote MacAskill, "makes a mockery of the grief of the families who lost their own on December 21, 1988. You could not have spent much time with the families, certainly not as much time as others involved in the investigation and prosecution."

He ended the Lockerbie letter with a frustrated question: "Where, I ask, is the justice?"

President Barack Obama on Friday called the elaborate homecoming in Libya for the freed bomber "highly objectionable."

___

On the Net:

Mueller's letter: http://tinyurl.com/mhxj7z

Comments

[waylon70]

I think what is so sad is that as our top cop, he has no respect for the law, other than it applies to him. Scotland should stand proud behide there precedented decesion. We must also repect the laws of other nations, to try and paint Scotland as not following thier law, or saying thier law is wrong just makes a call for Muller to resign. Anyone who has been that high in US law inforcement for so long sould think about term limits for themselves.This is why so many world wide truly want the US to fail, and he sould remove himself as a public service.

[CelticMajic]

It is a tragedy that those who perished will never be able to receive a hero's welcome.

[Lutfi]

Were was Mr. Mueller conscience after 9/ 11 or him performing his duties to protect all American and the law stated that you are innocent till proofing guilty , and we have lots of American who were picked up and placed in a Limbo and there right was an after thought , even thought I have attended meeting with an a FBI person when it comes down to Middle East / American they seem to walk on eggs shell, just to let every one know that I love the USA and will protected it at all time, ( I do not agree with some foreign policy ), but it does not change my feeling, I tried to be part of first responder in 2002, and the director of the program is semitic, and she would not have that for me to be part of that for I was the other semitic ,it seem she was fighting a different war than I was I want my community to be prepared and safe against any major incident , I'm still involved in my community and respected for what I have contributed and sought after for comment or idea. back to Mr. Mueller he should resign for he is not serving the American people or the constitution, hes serving his party .

[phute]

I mean it's not like he would have welcomed the alternative - an appeal resulting in some very uncomfortable material being disclosed.
His anger is just posturing.
They were al in on it. Like hell an appeal - it'll be compassionate release or nothing.

[KDog76A]

ramble on

[commsense25]

The FBI and other federal law enforcement went way over the line after 911. Stay out there fighting for your freedoms and never knukly under to the facist that exist in our country.

[rudolph]

Perhaps Scotland should learn to be civilized like the USA and China, which still have the death penalty. Great powers rise above weaknesses like the quality of mercy.

[GAQT466]

Qaddafi congratulated the Scottish Justice Minister for the decision to release terrorist! When Qaddafi congratulates you on your decision; you have just made a monumental mistake.

[rudolph]

What Qaddafi does is Qaddafi's business, not Scotland's.

[KDog76A]

um, in this case its Scotland's too since they had a deal with Libya... oh, and because it was Scotland that let the terrorist go...

[phute]

Maybe you could try establishing whether or not the Scottish Justice Minister actually sought gratitude.

[KDog76A]

Negotiations were in effect 6 weeks ago... ask Gordon Brown.

[BambooHarvester]

james "whitey" bulger . . .
~

[who38]

Mueller should have maintained his practice of not speaking out about the judgments of other prosecuters. DS.

[KDog76A]

why is that? We shouldn't have a say on the release of someone convicted of murdering 270 people, mostly Americans? stick your head back in the sand.

[Academic]

Thank goodness for the Scots. Would Blair, Brown or Straw have shown MacAskill’s courage and integrity withstanding US pressure - considering how they succumbed to it over Pinochet refusing to extradite him to Spain for war crimes - not to release Megrahi, details of whose supposed crime and trial the average US citizen knows little of?

What US citizens care about is their idea of retributive justice. They had a man behind bars and that was good enough for them. So I find it difficult to accept their outrage at the loss of their token victim.

Dr. Jim Swire (British) diverted his grief at his daughter’s loss into a thorough forensic investigation of the Lockerbie incident; this lasted several years and concluded that Megrahi’s conviction was unsound. I trust his opinion. He wants the real perpetrators and is sure none of them is Megrahi or Libyan.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[SKEENGE]

Luis Posada Carriles spends his latter years lounging in Miami after torturing and murdering hundreds of people for our CIA . A few hundred human beings who have never been tried are being held and, at one time, tortured in CIA run prisons around the globe. The Cuban five will spend most of the remainder of their lives in US prisons for the crime of trying to protect their own citizens from US acts of terrorism. And, as long as we're pointing up the hypocricy of it all, what about these jerks who are carrying weapons and screaming at presidential appearances. I haven't heard one journalist ask what would have happened to anyone who even raised his voice at a Bush or Cheney appearance, let alone carry an assault rifle.

[Academic]

It's the stench of universal US hypocrisy and double standards that get most peoples' dander up on this side of the Atlantic not hatred of the US per se. I believe in fairness and justice. I believe in mercy and forgiveness. Yet I find it quite appalling that those in the US, as in the UK like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who hypocritically and ostentatiously wear their supposed Christianity on their sleeves and lecture the rest of us are as bloodthirsty as you can get.

I would hazard a guess that if Jesus Christ were to return to earth today incognito he would be branded a terrorist by the very same people who claim their are devout Christians.

Thank you SKEENGE for your prescient-minded and exceedingly moral contribution.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[Academic]

This 2009 incarceration of J Edgar Hoover should first learn how to engage his mouth with his brain before he opens the former.

If he's such an advocate of justice and the rule of law as he professes he should start prosecuting the plethora of terrorists that his country's legal system, its lawmakers and administrations give sanctuary to in the US and that carried out numerous international acts of terrorism on behalf of the USA.

Like the CIA operatives who blew up Cubana Flight 455 in 1976 but live openly and freely in Florida; and those who brought down Iranian Flight 655 in 1988 with 290 passengers including 66 children on board. Odious murderers all, who boast openly of their crime, were feted, honoured and allowed to go scot-free (no pun intended).

Scotland needs no lectures from the likes of Herr Mueller.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[Academic]

In the piece directly above it should have read: "This incarnation (NOT incarceration) of J. Edgar Hoover etc".

I know I wrote the correct word, apparently the US Microsoft Word spell check that is on the computer I'm using - I naturally always use the British spell-check and insist on it - decided like most US things these days to get it wrong the boo-boo above.

Just thought I'd explain.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[Flying Dutchman]

The USA screwed the entire world with it's govrenment lying and warmongering . To make things worse talking heads on cable tv insult nations (and it citizens) that do not share US (conservative) values. The inevitable result of this is that all those countries (and it citizens) do not care about US grievance anymore. Why the h.e.l.l. should they, the US didn't care about their grievance. People who lie and insult you are not your friends, Scotland knows this, and act likes it!

On a sidenote; this is the direct result of voting Bush in power twice, Fox viewers probably do not understand this, but the USA is isolating itself by disrespecting those with an other opinion.

[disintaGreatNation]

Two words: Orlando Bosch.

[vascopyjama]

I saw Joe Lieberman on the box this morning condemning the release. It must be the official Lukid Party line.

[RevBookburn]

Uh, yeah..you really want to talk about comfort for terrorists? Those who terrorized Pine Ridge reservation (working for your agency) and then sent Leonard Peltier to prison for life for a false conviction (why fear a new trial and new investigations), just got the comfort of Leonard recently being denied parole again.

If you get bored with writing statements, you may want to begin taking a tiny bit of action regarding the anti-choice terrorists and racist militias.

[Ergon]

'Action' was taken at Ruby Ridge and Waco.

[Ergon]

Not that i disagree with you about Pine Ridge or Leonard Peltier, but would add Mumia Abdul Jamal and the Angola Three to the list.

[StillIRise]

Thank you ..

[SKEENGE]

Operation condor, the Phoenix operation,The School of the Americas, Mi Lai, Salvador Allende, agent orange, depleted uranium, the war on drugs, Kent State.......

[balickistan]

so we need to listen to the outrage of a man who headed an agency linked to war crimes, who objects to a foreign country that releases a prisoner on compassionate grounds. said country has practiced law for hundreds and hundreds of years prior to the formation of america, which by the way, incorporated scottish law practices into the constitution.

you're right mueller, talk down to them like they are naughty schoolkids, it has worked wonders in the middle east and asia. lets lecture a system that has been cohesive for a people for 1200 years. good point.

worst case scenario, invade scotland. i hear they are very kind to foreigners in this mode.

[vascopyjama]

And people wonder why the Bush administration was so disliked overseas. Pass me the Freedom Haggis.

[Ergon]

Fanned, because I like your name and sense of humor!

[Ergon]

The FBI ought to shut up: The Scottish Sunday Express has this report: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/122299/-I-ll-reveal-true-identity-of-bomber-
"AN AMERICAN citizen is to be named by the Lockerbie bomber as the man who really carried out the terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103.
Megrahi’s early release from prison on compassionate grounds.
Lawyers for the bomber were to argue that an “elusive” terrorist codenamed Abu Elias planted the bomb in December 1988, causing the deaths of 270 innocent people"
"Sources close to Megrahi believe he may actually have been a double agent working for the FBI or the CIA."
He is believed to be the nephew of terrorist Ahmad Jibril. Khaisar Haddad, known as Abu Elias, a Lebanese Christian, is the real Lockerbie bomber.