Oh Boy: White House Recommended Release of Lockerbie Bomber Over Jailtime In Libya

The choices offered to the White House were "compassionate leave" for that terminal, last-stages cancer that hasn't taken the spring out his step yet, or continued jailing in Libya.

Why the White House didn't reject both and demand continued jail in Scotland I don't know.

But given the choice -- jail or freedom -- the White House chose... freeeeedommm!

It's nice they can support freedom once in a while, but this isn't the right time for that.

THE US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be "far preferable" to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya.

Correspondence obtained by The Sunday Times reveals the Obama administration considered compassionate release more palatable than locking up Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in a Libyan prison.

The intervention, which has angered US relatives of those who died in the attack, was made by Richard LeBaron, deputy head of the US embassy in London, a week before Megrahi was freed in August last year on grounds that he had terminal cancer.

The document, acquired by a well-placed US source, threatens to undermine US President Barack Obama's claim last week that all Americans were "surprised, disappointed and angry" to learn of Megrahi's release.

Scottish ministers viewed the level of US resistance to compassionate release as "half-hearted" and a sign it would be accepted.

The US has tried to keep the letter secret, refusing to give permission to the Scottish authorities to publish it on the grounds it would prevent future "frank and open communications" with other governments.

But of course they did.

posted by Ace at 03:08 PM

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