Scottish official: Libya broke promise on bomber’s release

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Scotland’s justice minister on Monday defended his much-criticized decision to free the Lockerbie bomber, as the U.S. State Department said that though it disagreed “passionately,” the move would not affect relations between America and Britain.

The Scottish administration has faced unrelenting criticism from both the U.S. government and the families of American victims of the 1988 airline bombing since it announced last week it was freeing Abdel Baset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds. The terminally ill al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, returned to his native Libya on Thursday, where he was greeted by crowds waving Libyan and Scottish flags.

The United States will stand by Britain, even though it believes the decision was a mistake, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

“We made it quite clear that we disagreed passionately with this decision, because we thought it sent the wrong signal to not only the families, but also to terrorists, But I really discourage you from thinking that we necessarily have to have some kind of tit-for-tat retaliation because of it. I just don’t see it — not with Britain. Not with Scotland either,” Kelly said. Kelly’s words follow days of criticism from top U.S. officials.

Justice Secretary Kenny Mac- Askill doggedly defended the decision Monday but said Libya had broken a promise by giving the convicted terrorist a hero’s welcome. Scottish lawmakers came back from summer vacation a week early for an emotional debate on the issue.

Britain, meanwhile, scrapped a trade visit to Libya by Prince Andrew amid controversy over the release.

MacAskill said the warm homecoming for al-Megrahi breached assurances from Libyan authorities that “any return would be dealt with in a low-key and sensitive fashion.”

A member of the Libyan government’s negotiating team who took part in the talks about al-Megrahi’s release told The Associated Press that the Libyan government had not organized al-Megrahi’s reception and had not broken any agreement with Scotland. The official did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

He said no government official met al-Megrahi at the airport and pointed out that Gadhafi’s son, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, who traveled with al-Megrahi on the plane, is not a government official.

The official said the crowd that threw rose petals and cheered al-Megrahi at the airport heard of his return through the media and spontaneously chose to greet him, he said.