Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said today that while America “didnt want” Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to be released, they would rather see him freed on account of his terminal cancer, than under the prisoner transfer agreement between the UK and Libya.
Megrahi is the only person convicted of the 1988 bombing in which 270 people were killed.
He was released in August last year after doctors said he was dying of prostate cancer and had three months to live – prompting fury in the US.
Last week, President Barack Obama told a White House press conference that the US had been “surprised, disappointed and angry” about Megrahi being released.
Speaking to Sky News today, Mr Salmond said: “I think a fair description of the American Government’s position is that they didn’t want al-Megrahi to be released.
“However, if he was to be released, they thought it was far preferable for compassionate release as opposed to the prisoner transfer agreement.”
Full story: US ‘preferred’ compassionate release of Lockerbie bomber, says Alex Salmond – Telegraph