Lockerbie bomber dies more than two years after release - CNN.com Lockerbie bomber dies more than two years after release From Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Updated 5:32 AM ET, Mon May 21, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Lockerbie bomber takes secrets to grave 02:31 Story highlights A Lockerbie victim's mother says she has "no pity" for a "mass murderer" Al Megrahi was convicted of murder after 270 died when Pan Am 103 blew up over Scotland He was released in August 2009 on "compassionate grounds" and welcomed warmly in Libya A Scottish official defends the release, which Britain's current leader and others still criticize Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the only person convicted in connection with the Lockerbie airline bombing that killed 270 people, died Sunday, the Libyan government and family members said. He was 60. The former intelligence officer, who had suffered from prostate cancer, will be buried Monday, according to a Libyan foreign ministry spokesman.

Al Megrahi's cousin, Omer al-Gharyani, told CNN he was at a Tripoli hospital with al Megrahi when he died. His death came more than two-and-a-half years after he was freed from a life sentence in Scotland because he was said to be dying. His brother said the family refers "to the deceased as 'the convicted innocent.'" "May God bless his soul," he added. JUST WATCHED Family reacts to Pan Am bomber's death 02:20 Relatives of those killed in the bombing expressed relief and, in some cases, anger. "He was a mass murderer. I feel no pity," said Susan Cohen, whose daughter was among the 189 Americans killed. The destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 was the deadliest act of air terrorism targeting Americans until the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to the FBI. American and British investigators who painstakingly pieced together the wreckage concluded it was destroyed by a bomb. Authorities in those nations claimed al Megrahi -- once the security chief for Libyan Arab Airlines -- and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah were Libyan intelligence agents who planted the explosive.

They were charged in November 1991 on 270 counts of murder and conspiracy to murder. That indictment set off the first battle over al Megrahi, until Libya handed him and Fhima over in the face of international pressure. Eight years after his trial and conviction, a fresh uproar arose when he was released from a Scottish prison because he was battling terminal prostate cancer. He received a hero's welcome upon arriving home in Libya. And last year, as rebel fighters advanced and, ultimately, toppled Moammar Gadhafi and his regime, the debate was revived as some called for al Megrahi's extradition back to Britain or to the United States. But even after new leaders took power, he remained in Libya. CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson tracked al Megrahi down last August at the palatial villa Gadhafi had built for him. Apparently in a coma and near death, al Megrahi's family said then that his son and mother were trying to care for him with oxygen and an intravenous drip, but with no medical assistance. His death may make it impossible ever to get the full story behind the Lockerbie bombing.

In an interview with Reuters last October, al Megrahi vowed "new facts" would come to light. The truth will come out "one day, and hopefully in the near future," he said. 2011: Convicted Lockerbie bomber says truth will eventually come out Reacting to news of the convicted killer's death, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday reiterated his belief that "he should never have been released from prison." "Today is a day to remember the 270 people who lost their lives in what was an appalling terrorist act," Cameron at the NATO summit in Chicago. "Our thoughts should be with them and their families for the suffering they've had." Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond -- the top Scottish political figure -- likewise expressed sympathy for the attack's victims, while asserting that al Megrahi's death puts "to rest some of the conspiracy theories which have attempted to suggest that his illness was somehow manufactured." Despite widespread criticism, "extensive scrutiny" has found that Scotland released al Megrahi on "compassionate grounds alone," Salmond said in his statement. His release -- and the celebrations that greeted him in Libya -- sparked condemnation from the United States and British governments, and from some victims' families. U.S.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, accused "the Scottish government, perhaps with the participation of the British government, (of creating) a major injustice when they let him out." "This man was a horrible man," Schumer told CNN on Sunday. "It would have been better had he not died in freedom, but died in prison. That's what he deserved." "The only legacy we have is in the memory of all those who were lost," Schumer added. "...We have to just make sure we continue this battle against terrorism on airplanes. We made great progress and we have to keep it up." When Washington and London blamed al Megrahi and Fhimah for the attack, Libya refused to hand them over. That led the U.N. Security Council in April 1992 to slap sanctions on the north African nation, clamping down on arms sales and air travel. The FBI put the two men on its 10 Most Wanted fugitives list -- the only time officers of a foreign government have ever been so named, spokesman Ken Hoffman said. Two years later, Libya floated the idea of trying the men in an international court, which the United States and Britain rejected.

Libya made a new proposal in summer 1998: that the men go on trial in the Netherlands, albeit under Scottish law. By the end of that year, matters came to a head when then U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan met Gadhafi in Tripoli. Ten days later, a U.S. Appeals Court ruled that families of Americans killed in the bombing could sue Libya for possibly sponsoring the attack. The next day, Libya agreed to let the men face trial. They were handed over April 5, 1999, to the United Nations, which suspended its sanctions the same day. Two months later, U.S. and Libyan officials met face-to-face for the first time in 18 years. Libya later agreed in 2003 to pay $2.7 billion to victims' families, though Gadhafi was always cagey about admitting official Libyan involvement. After a nine-month trial, al Megrahi was convicted in 2001 of the murders after prosecutors dropped lesser charges. He was sentenced to life in prison, having to serve a minimum of 27 years. Scotland does not allow the death penalty. Fhimah was found not guilty.

For his part, al Megrahi continued to fight to clear his name. In June 2007, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission allowed one appeal to go forward, ruling it uncovered new evidence and that al Megrahi "may have suffered a miscarriage of justice." Before that appeal was heard, however, it emerged al Megrahi had terminal prostate cancer. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who had authority over the case because the convicted bomber was jailed in Scotland, ordered him freed in August 2009. Some family members of Lockerbie victims swiftly complained that, with the legal process ending after al Megrahi dropped his appeal, they'd never know the full truth. British press, meanwhile, alleged the release was tied to oil deals with Libya. British and Scottish officials denied that claim, making public more than 100 pages of previously secret documents to make their case. The papers included a handwritten letter from al Megrahi to MacAskill, pleading that he be allowed to see his family before he died, and continuing to proclaim his innocence.

The documents also showed that senior Libyan officials warned their Scottish and British counterparts it would be "catastrophic" for British-Libyan relations if al Megrahi died in prison. Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam, Gadhafi's son and heir apparent who accompanied al Megrahi back to Libya on August 20, 2009, said Libya was "very angry" at British efforts to keep al Megrahi out of a separate prisoner transfer agreement. But he said, ultimately, the bomber was released for a different reason. It was "not because of business deals," Saif al-Islam Gadhafi told CNN in early September, two months before he himself was captured in Libya. "The guy is sick, seriously sick. He has cancer, and, because of that, they made their decision." Lockerbie bomber release linked to arms deal, according to secret letter - Telegraph Politics Lockerbie bomber release linked to arms deal, according to secret letter The release of the Lockerbie bomber was linked by the Government to a £400 million arms-export deal to Libya, according to secret correspondence obtained by The Sunday Telegraph. Tony Blair during one of his meetings with Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

Photo: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA < > By Robert Mendick , and Edward Malnick 9:03PM BST 27 Jul 2013 An email sent by the then British ambassador in Tripoli details how a prisoner transfer agreement would be signed once Libya “fulfils its promise” to buy an air defence system. The disclosure is embarrassing for members of the then Labour government, which always insisted that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi ’s release was not linked to commercial deals. The email, which contained a briefing on the UK’s relations with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi ’s regime, was sent on June 8 2008 by Sir Vincent Fean, the then UK ambassador, to Tony Blair ’s private office, ahead of a visit soon after he stepped down as prime minister. Mr Blair flew to Tripoli to meet Gaddafi on June 10, in a private jet provided by the dictator, one of at least six visits Mr Blair made to Libya after quitting Downing Street. The briefing, which runs to 1,300 words, contains revealing details about how keen Britain was to do deals with Gaddafi.

It also suggests that: Related Articles Family of Lockerbie bomber vow to prove his innocence 21 Dec 2013 • the UK made it a key objective for Libya to invest its £80 billion sovereign wealth fund through the City of London • the UK was privately critical of then President George Bush for “shooting the US in the foot” by continuing to put a block on Libyan assets in America, in the process scuppering business deals • the Department for International Development was eager to use another Libyan fund worth £130 million to pay for schemes in Sierra Leone and other poverty-stricken countries. The release of Megrahi in August 2009 caused a huge furore, with the Government insisting he had been released on compassionate grounds because he was suffering from terminal cancer, and that the decision was taken solely by the Scottish government. Megrahi had been convicted in 2001 of the murder of 270 people when PanAm flight 103 from London to New York blew up over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988. It remains Britain’s single worst terrorist atrocity.

Libya had been putting pressure on the UK to release Megrahi and in May 2007, just before he left Downing Street, Mr Blair travelled to Sirte to meet Gaddafi and Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi, Libya’s then prime minister. At that meeting, according to Sir Vincent’s email, Mr Blair and Mr Baghdadi agreed that Libya would buy the missile defence system from MBDA, a weapons manufacturer part-owned by BAE Systems. The pair also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA), which the Libyans believed would pave the way for Megrahi’s release. The British government initially intended the agreement to explicitly exclude Megrahi. However, ministers relented under pressure from Libya. In December 2007, Jack Straw, then justice secretary, told his Scottish counterpart that he had been unable to secure an exclusion, but said any application to transfer Megrahi under the agreement would still have to be signed off by Scottish ministers.

With Mr Blair returning in June 2008 — as a guest of Gaddafi on his private jet — the government appears to have used the chance to press its case for the arms deal to be sealed. At the time, Britain was on the brink of an economic and banking crisis, and Libya, through the Libyan Investment Authority, had billions of pounds in reserves. Sir Vincent gave Mr Blair’s office a briefing on the state of relations with Libya. The email suggests that Mr Blair was being used as a conduit. Sir Vincent wrote: “There is one bilateral issue which I hope TB [Tony Blair] can raise, as a legacy issue. On 29 May 07 in Sirte, he and Libya’s PM agreed that Libya would buy an air defence system (Jernas) from the UK (MBDA). One year on, MBDA are now back in Tripoli (since 8 June) aiming to agree and sign the contract now — worth £400 million, and up to 2,000 jobs in the UK. “Saif [Gaddafi’s son] says they are to come back to conclude; but there is opposition within the Libyan armed forces, from those in the Russian defence equipment camp.

We think we have Col Q’s [Gaddafi’s] goodwill for this contract: it would be very helpful if he expressed it more clearly. This issue can also be raised with Libya’s PM, and the Planning Minister. It was PM Baghdadi who told the media on 29 May 07 that Libya would buy British. “Linked (by Libya) is the issue of the 4 bilateral Justice agreements about which TB signed an MoU with Baghdadi on 29 May. The MoU says they will be negotiated within the year: they have been. They are all ready for signature in London as soon as Libya fulfils its promise on Jernas.” The PTA was signed in November 2008 by Bill Rammell, a foreign office minister. Megrahi was diagnosed with prostate cancer and released in August 2009 on compassionate grounds when he was given three months to live. He died in May 2012. The Libyans never signed the arms deal, MBDA said yesterday. “MBDA operates, at all times, strictly within the limits of clearly defined export licensing regimes issued by the relevant Government authorities,” a spokesman said.

“All MBDA’s dealings with Libya were purely commercial and in accordance with the EU directive at the time.” The disclosure of the email, which was obtained by The Sunday Telegraph as a result of a Freedom of Information request, angered the relatives of victims of the bombing. Pam Dix, whose brother Peter died at Lockerbie, said: “It appears from this email that the British government was making a clear correlation between arms dealing with Libya and the signing of the prisoner transfer agreement. “We were told Megrahi’s release was a matter strictly for the Scottish government but this shows the dirty dealing that was going on behind the scenes.” Lord Mandelson, who was business secretary when Megrahi was released, said he was unaware of any possible links between commercial deals and negotiations over a release. He said: “Based on the information that I was given at the time, I made clear the government’s position. I was not aware of the correspondence covered in this FOI request.” Jack Straw, who negotiated the PTA, said no deals were done over Megrahi, and it was always a decision for the Scottish government.

The email from Sir Vincent also informed Mr Blair on the latest stage of Megrahi’s bid for release, and urged him to fend off any demands that he be sent back. By 2008, Megrahi was appealing against his conviction for mass murder. “Col Q may very well raise Megrahi,” wrote Sir Vincent, “Saif [Gaddafi’s son] raised the case … last week. It is now before the Scottish Appeal Court and sub-judice. “While the appeal is current, no request to invoke the PTA can be made in that case. Were the appeal to fail and a request for Megrahi’s return to Libya were to be made subsequently, it would be for Scottish ministers to decide on any such request — not a question for HMG [Her Majesty’s Government].” A spokesman for Mr Blair said that the prisoner transfer agreements did not relate to Megrahi. The email, he added, did not show “that the UK government was trying to link the defence deal and Megrahi”. He said: “Actually it shows the opposite — that any linkage was from the Libyan side. “As far as we’re aware there was no linkage on the UK side.

What the email in fact shows is that, consistent with what we have always said, it was made clear to the then Libyan leader that the release of Megarahi was a matter for Scotland and was not a matter for Her Majesty’s Government. “As we’ve said before, the subjects of the conversations during Mr Blair’s occasional visits was [sic] primarily Africa, as Libya was for a time head of the African Union; but also the Middle East and how Libya should reform and open up. “Of course the Libyans, as they always did, raised Megrahi. Mr Blair explained, as he always did, in office and out of it, that it was not a decision for the UK government but for the Scottish Executive [formerly the name for the Scottish government].” Lockerbie bomber's release decried | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Advertisement Lockerbie bomber's release decried 'It's nothing that's not predictable. But, nevertheless, it's extremely hurtful, frustrating, angering.

You name the emotion, it's there' August 21, 2009 4:00 AM Beth Ann Johnson Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi holds his prisoner release papers as he walks toward the airplane at Glasgow International Airport, Glasgow Scotland bound for Tripoli, yesterday. Elyse Saraceni By Ann Rodgers Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Carole Johnson felt pain, but not shock. The only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed her 21-year-old daughter and 269 others, was released yesterday from a Scottish prison due to a diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer. "It's nothing that's not predictable. But, nevertheless, it's extremely hurtful, frustrating, angering. You name the emotion, it's there," said Mrs. Johnson, a retired nurse from Hempfield. She isn't convinced that Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who served eight years of a 20-years-to-life sentence, faces imminent death, which was the legal basis for his "compassionate release." "Needless to say, we will be keeping a very close eye on just how sick he is," she said.

Mr. al-Megrahi, a former mid-level Libyan intelligence agent, climbed out of a prison van and walked unassisted up the steps of a Libyan jet in Glasgow. Through an attorney he reasserted his innocence and expressed sympathy for the victims' families. President Barack Obama called the decision to release him a mistake and warned Libya not to give him a hero's welcome. But in Tripoli he was greeted by thousands of cheering youth and left the plane with a son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. It was Mr. Gadhafi who had handed Mr. al-Megrahi over to Scottish authorities to end years of sanctions from the West, but he had also lobbied for his release. The Johnsons believe that Mr. Gadhafi ordered the bombing. On the night of Dec. 21, 1988, the Pan Am 747 exploded, killing all 259 people on board and 11 in the village below. Until Sept. 11, 2001, it was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. civilians. Mr. Al-Megrahi, 57, was convicted by a Scottish court in 2001.

Glenn Johnson, Mrs. Johnson's husband, attended his trial and served eight years as chairman of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 support and advocacy group. He said at the time that the sentence was too light for the murder of 270 people. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill made the decision to release him, citing medical evidence and Scottish law. "Those who have been bereaved cannot be expected to forget, let alone forgive. ... However, Mr. al-Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power," Mr. MacAskill said. U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, expressed outrage. "It's hard to comprehend the decision to release a terrorist on the premise he deserves compassion. This was a crime against humanity and not only did we feel this tragedy as a nation, but right here in southwestern Pennsylvania where we lost many family members," he said. The Johnsons' daughter, Beth Johnson, was one of nine victims with ties to the Tri-State area. She and her good friend and fellow Seton Hill College student, Elyse Saraceni, 20, of Salem, were returning from a semester at Regent's College in London.

Yesterday Seton Hill University offered prayers for the Johnson and Saraceni families. "Beth Ann and Elyse were lovely young women -- bright, energetic and talented. No action of any government returns them to us or compensates us or their families for any loss," the university statement said. Other victims from the area included: David Gould, 45, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs, was returning from East Africa where he was working to promote peace; Ann Gorgacz, 76, a widow from New Castle, was flying home from London with her daughters, Loretta Gorgacz, 46, and Linda Gordon, 39; Barry Valentino, Jr., 28, who grew up in Pleasant Hills where he had once been a volunteer firefighter, was headed back from vacation to a job in San Francisco; Army Maj. Charles McKee, 40, who grew up in Wilkinsburg and Trafford, was returning from duty in Beirut; and Valerie Canady, 25, a native of Morgantown, W.Va., was coming home for Christmas from her job in London. The Johnsons have followed the al-Megrahi proceedings closely.

From the beginning the case has been tangled in the web of international politics. "No one in our government wanted this to happen, to our knowledge," Mrs. Johnson said, singling out Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as a longtime ally of the families. "While the Scots have always been extremely compassionate toward the families, I think they really dropped the ball today. ... I don't feel that should have been one man's decision. I think the Scots are very compassionate people. Unfortunately, today I'm going to have to say that maybe that was their undoing." The Johnsons have worked to maintain a good attitude, saying that otherwise the terrorists would win. They have two grown sons, one older and one younger than Beth Ann would be. There are many memorials to their daughter, some funded by settlement money from the Libyan government. One of the most recent is a children's room in the new library in Scottdale, where she grew up. Another sends art and music therapy students from Seton Hill to work with children from impoverished communities, the sort of work that their musically gifted daughter hoped to do. Beth Johnson played 14 instruments, and for years her mother hated the sight of her silenced piano.

Now Beth Ann has a 14-year-old nephew, born years after her death, with similar musical gifts. "He is playing her piano, and he is playing the songs that she played. It's very bittersweet, but it's so wonderful," she said. "That's what I mean when I say that we look to our blessings." The Associated Press and The New York Times contributed. Ann Rodgers can be reached at arodgers@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1416. Man Convicted in Lockerbie Bombing Is Released From Scottish Prison Man Convicted in Lockerbie Bombing Is Released From Scottish Prison Video Angry Over Lockerbie Bomber's Release Rosemary Mild, mother of Lockerbie bombing victim Miriam Wolfe, shares her thoughts on the release of Mr. Megrahi, the convicted bomber. We spoke to Mrs. Mild a day before the announcement. Video by Pierre Kattar, Research by John Johnston/The Washington Post Special to The Washington Post Friday, August 21, 2009 LONDON, Aug.

20 -- A former Libyan secret service agent convicted in the Lockerbie bombing returned home to Tripoli on Thursday, greeted by cheering crowds after being freed from a Scottish prison -- a release that President Obama called "a mistake." Scottish authorities released Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, who is dying from prostate cancer, for humanitarian reasons after he served eight years of a life sentence. Megrahi is the only person convicted of a crime in connection with the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people, 189 of them American. As Megrahi, 57, was on his flight to Libya, Obama told a radio interviewer: "We're now in contact with the Libyan government and want to make sure that if in fact this transfer has taken place, that he's not welcomed back in some way but instead should be under house arrest. We've also obviously been in contact with the families of the Pan Am victims and indicated to them that we don't think this was appropriate." When he arrived at an airport near Tripoli, Megrahi was met by hundreds of people waving Libyan and Scottish flags.

He wore a dark suit and walked slowly with a stick. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who made the decision to release Megrahi, said at a news conference in Edinburgh that humanity was a defining characteristic of the Scottish people and that "our belief dictates that justice be served but mercy be shown." In defending his decision, MacAskill said that after seeking medical advice, he determined that Megrahi had about three months left to live, considered appropriate for release on compassionate grounds in Scotland. Since 2000, the Scottish government has received 30 applications for release on compassionate grounds; 24 have been approved. MacAskill said that Megrahi "did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them. But that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and John Brennan, the president's senior counterterrorism adviser, had pressed the Scottish and British governments in recent months to keep Megrahi in prison.

Clinton brought up her concerns with MacAskill and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, officials said. In a statement Thursday, Holder said, "There is simply no justification for releasing this convicted terrorist whose actions took the lives of 270 individuals." Seven U.S. senators had written to MacAskill this week, urging that Megrahi remain in prison in Scotland. On Thursday, one of them, John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), said Megrahi's release "turned the word 'compassion' on its head. The bombing of Pan Am 103 was unforgivable." Many of the victims' family members said the release reopened their wounds, decades after the explosion. Glenn Johnson, whose daughter Beth Ann was studying in London and returning home for Christmas when she died, said in a phone interview from Pennsylvania that he was "just devastated. How can a person who killed 270 people, who had no compassion for them, be given compassion?

It is another tragedy families have to suffer." CONTINUED 1 Timeline: Lockerbie bomber release - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was released from prison on compassionate grounds Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only man convicted of the 1988 bombing over Lockerbie of American PanAm flight 103 which killed 270 people, has died. He had been released from a Scottish prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds. Megrahi had terminal prostate cancer and, at the time, it was stated that three months was a reasonable estimate of the length of time he had left to live. Nearly three years on, he died in Libya and controversy continues to rage about his release. Last August after the fall of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, Megrahi was reported to be "in and out of a coma" at his home in Tripoli. Here is a timeline of how events have unfolded since he was freed from jail, on 20 August 2009.

20 August 2009 Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi flies home to Libya after being freed from Greenock Prison on compassionate grounds. The decision to release the 57-year-old, who has terminal prostate cancer, is made by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, but US president Barack Obama brands the decision "a mistake" and some US victims' families react angrily. The then UK government stays out of the decision, making clear that justice matters are devolved to Scotland. Only an hour after Megrahi's release is announced, a police convoy leaves Greenock Prison and is greeted with angry jeers from a small group of local residents. Megrahi is taken to Glasgow Airport where he boards an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus plane bound for Tripoli, wearing a white track suit and clutching his prison release papers. 21 August 2009 Megrahi arrives at Tripoli airport to a jubilant welcome, a reception strongly condemned by the US and Britain, with the then British foreign secretary, David Miliband, describing the scenes as "deeply distressing".

22 August 2009 Lord Mandelson, the UK government business secretary, says suggestions that Megrahi's release is linked to a UK-Libya trade deal are "offensive". He says it is "implausible" the UK would barter over the fate of the convicted bomber and then tell the Scottish government to free him. 24 August 2009 The Scottish Parliament is recalled early from its summer break - for only the third time in its 10-year history - to discuss the case. Kenny MacAskill stands by his decision to free the convicted Lockerbie bomber, telling MSPs he will "live with the consequences". He also says the Libyan government gave assurances that Megrahi's return would be treated in a "low-key" manner. But Scottish opposition leaders from Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, criticise the decision to release him. 25 August 2009 Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks for the first time since Megrahi's release, saying he is "repulsed" and "angry" by the welcome he received on his return to Libya.

30 August 2009 Justice Secretary Jack Straw insists reports that Megrahi was released over an oil deal and UK trade talks with the Libyan government are "wholly untrue". 9 September 2009 Image caption Megrahi looked frail when he appeared in public for the first time Megrahi makes his first public appearance since returning to Libya, in the hospital where he is receiving cancer care. Looking frail in a wheelchair, he gets a standing ovation from a group of African MPs there to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the African Union. Megrahi remains silent, but, after five minutes, he begins to cough and signals he wants to leave. 22 September 2009 The Scottish Parliament's justice committee announces it will hold an inquiry into Megrahi's release. Convener Bill Aitken says the move will provide an opportunity for the Scottish government to "allay the concerns which many hold" about the decision. 26 September 2009 Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi denies any deal was done to secure Megrahi's release, telling the Al Jazeera news channel he now considers the matter closed.

2 October 2009 The three judges who jailed the Lockerbie bomber, following a trial under Scots law at Camp Ziest in the Netherlands, deny they were under pressure to secure a conviction. Their comments come in a letter to the New York Times newspaper, which had published the claim by US professor Dirk Vandewalle. Speaking on behalf of the three judges, Scottish judiciary information officer Elizabeth Cutting says they had never, to the best of their knowledge, met Prof Vandewalle. 17 October 2009 Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond compares his justice secretary's actions to the principles of Indian peace champion Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Salmond tells the Scottish National Party annual conference it should be "proud" of Kenny MacAskill's decision to free Megrahi. 24 November 2009 Image caption Mr Straw denied that the UK government had guided Scottish ministers to release Megrahi Jack Straw denies a suggestion the UK government guided Scottish ministers to release Megrahi from prison on compassionate grounds. But UK ministers did tell the Scottish government, prior to the convicted bomber's release, that the Westminster government was not seeking his death in custody. Mr Straw was giving evidence to the Commons Justice Committee.

1 December 2009 Kenny MacAskill reveals that Megrahi wore a white shellsuit on the day of his release to hide the fact he was wearing body armour. He later swapped the outfit for a grey suit in time for his landing in Tripoli. 5 February 2010 The Scottish Parliament justice committee inquiry into the case concludes that a visit by Kenny MacAskill to Greenock Prison to see Megrahi before his release was "inappropriate". The inquiry expresses concern about other aspects leading up to the release, but the Scottish government says Mr MacAskill followed "due process". 30 March 2010 The UK government's reaction to Megrahi's release comes in for stinging criticism from a committee of MPs. Westminster's Scottish affairs committee says there was "close co-operation" between the Scottish and UK governments in the run-up to the release. The committee also says the UK administration's initial response appeared "disjointed". 4 July 2010 The Scottish government stands by the medical advice on which it released Megrahi, even though he is still alive almost a year after his release on compassionate grounds.

Holyrood ministers make their position clear after newspaper claims that Megrahi could survive for 10 years or more, although other sections of the media suggest he is expected to die within weeks. 8 July 2010 Four US senators call on Britain to investigate the circumstances surrounding the release of Megrahi. Senators from New York and New Jersey seek the investigation in a letter to the UK ambassador to the US. 15 July 2010 US Politicians decide to hold a hearing into whether BP lobbied the UK to try to secure Megrahi's release. The Senate's foreign relations committee wants BP to answer claims about an oil deal based on the release, but the energy giant denies making any representations over the case. 21 July 2010 The UK's new Prime Minister, David Cameron, says BP should not be blamed for the "completely wrong" decision to release Megrahi. Mr Cameron asks the UK's top civil servant to review government papers, but rules out US demands for an inquiry. Meanwhile, the Scottish government denies BP influenced the release.

23 July 2010 Image caption Kenny MacAskill turned down the request to attend a US Senate hearing into the bomber's release Scottish ministers and officials turn down a request to attend the US Senate hearing. Kenny MacAskill and Scottish Prison Service medical chief, Dr Andrew Fraser, decline the invitation, along with Jack Straw, now no longer a UK minister. BP chief executive Tony Hayward also turns down a similar request. Senators want to examine claims BP may have lobbied for the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. 27 July 2010 The US Senate hearing is postponed after key witnesses decline to take part, prompting Senator Robert Menendez to accuse them of "stonewalling". 19 August 2010 Almost a year after his release, Kenny MacAskill tells BBC Scotland he stands by his decision to release Megrahi, saying it was not based on "political, economic or diplomatic considerations". 20 September 2010 Image caption During a visit to Libya, Dr Jim Swire met the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing The father of a victim of the Lockerbie bombing goes to Libya to visit Megrahi.

Dr Jim Swire spends about an hour with him in a Tripoli hospital. He believes Megrahi is innocent and wants a full inquiry. Dr Swire lost his 24-year-old daughter, Flora, in the 1988 bombing of Pan AM flight 103 over Lockerbie, which claimed 270 lives. 25 October 2010 Scotland's leading Roman Catholic backs calls for an independent inquiry into the conviction of the Lockerbie bomber. Cardinal Keith O'Brien said "global accusations of wrongful conviction" must be dealt with. 3 December 2010 The Scottish government dismisses claims that the family of the Lockerbie bomber is to sue, alleging he was neglected in jail. Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi said relatives of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi would seek compensation after he died. The claim is reported to have been made via video link to staff and students at the London School of Economics. 7 February 2011 The previous UK government did "all it could" to help facilitate the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a report on the case says.

Sir Gus O'Donnell, the country's most senior civil servant, said there was an "underlying desire" to see Megrahi released before he died. But his report concludes that it was made clear to Libya that the final decision was up to Scottish ministers. And he said there was no evidence of Labour pressure on the Holyrood government. 9 April 2011 Relatives of victims of the Lockerbie bombing ask their lawyers to request a meeting with Libyan defector Moussa Koussa. He is thought to have been a senior figure in the Libyan intelligence service when Pan Am flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in 1988. 26 July 2011 The man convicted of blowing up a plane over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 appears at a rally broadcast by Libyan state television. Introducing him at a televised rally of members of Megrahi's tribe, the presenter says Megrahi's conviction was the result of a conspiracy. 22 August 2011 A Tory MP urges that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi should be sent back to the UK. Robert Halfon said he should be reimprisoned, preferably in Scotland.

He was speaking after forces opposed to the rule of Col Muammar Gaddafi took control of most of Libya's capital. 28 August 2011 Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is in a coma at his Tripoli home in Libya, it is reported. CNN said Megrahi appeared to be "at death's door" in the care of family. He is technically on licence but his whereabouts were thought to be unknown. 14 April 2012 Relatives of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi say his health has "deteriorated quickly" and he has been admitted to a private hospital for a blood transfusion. 20 May 2012 Megrahi dies at his home in the Libyan capital Tripoli. His brother Abdulhakim said that his health had deteriorated quickly and he died at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT). Lockerbie bomber to be released Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts Lockerbie bomber to be released August 20, 2009 He’s “going home to die” in the company of family, friends, and well-wishers.

His victims were not so fortunate. An update on this story . “Terminally ill Lockerbie bomber released,” from CNN , August 20: (CNN) — Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi is to be released and allowed to return to Libya on compassionate grounds, Scotland’s justice minister said Thursday. Al Megrahi, 57, is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. He is serving a life sentence for bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill told a news conference in Edinburgh the prisoner was “going home to die” and could be released within an hour of the announcement. “Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available,” MacAskill said. “Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown.” The Pan Am flight exploded December 21, 1988, as it flew over Scotland on its way from London to New York. All 259 people aboard the plane died, along with 11 Scots on the ground.

A Scottish court ruled in 2003 that al Megrahi must serve at least 27 years of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Al Megrahi first appealed the conviction in 2002 and lost. Families of the Lockerbie victims have been divided on whether al Megrahi should be ever be released. The United States has made clear to the British government and others that it believes al Megrahi should spend the rest of his time in jail. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called MacAskill last week to stress the U.S. opposition to an early release…. Convicted Lockerbie Bomber Released: The Original Guilty Verdict By Joel Zand on August 20, 2009 9:49 AM The sole defendant convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Lockerbie bombing terrorist attack was released by Scotland's Secretary of Justice and sent home to Libya today, a free man. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was convicted for his role in the December 21, 1988 bombing of a packed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 passengers and crew.

A three-judge panel from Scotland's High Court of Justiciary convicted al-Megrahi on January 31, 2001, just 7½ before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, At the conclusion of their 82-page verdict (see below) rendered after lengthy trial, the judges pronounced al-Megrahi guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, for deliberately placing the bomb on Flight 103 that blew up the plane and killed everyone on board: There is nothing in the evidence which leaves us with any reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the first accused [al Megrahi], and accordingly we find him guilty of the remaining charge in the Indictment as amended. You can read the original Lockerbie bombing trial guilty verdict here: Today, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill set al-Megrahi free from prison, setting aside his conviction and life sentence on the grounds of compassionate release, citing the Libyan's terminal prostate cancer, According to MacAskill, al-Megrahi's failure to "show his victims any comfort or compassion...is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days." Reaction to Scotland's decision has been mixed.

Most families of bombing victims are outraged. Kara Weipz, the sister of a passenger killed by the bombing, said that "he should have died in prison. Why should he be returned to Libya?" Related Resources: Lockerbie bomber 'was released by Britain because of £400million arms deal with Libya' | Daily Mail Online Lockerbie bomber 'was released by Britain because of £400million arms deal with Libya' Tony Blair discussed air defence deal with Libyan dictator Briefing note written by British ambassador said Libya was linking the contract with a prisoner transfer agreement Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was released from jail in 2009 on 'compassionate grounds' because he had terminal cancer Ultimately the defence contract was never signed by Libya comments The Lockerbie bomber’s release was linked to a £400million arms deal with Libya, secret documents reveal. They show ‘reprehensible’ connections between the Labour government boosting business and freeing the man convicted of Britain’s worst terrorist atrocity. An email sent by the then UK ambassador in Tripoli to former premier Tony Blair explained how a prisoner transfer agreement will be signed once Libya ‘fulfils its promise’ to buy an air defence system.

Handshake: Tony Blair, pictured with Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli, met the dictator six times after he resigned as Prime Minister The disclosure, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, reignites a row which is hugely embarrassing for Labour. At the time of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi’s release in August 2009, then prime minister Gordon Brown and his senior ministers insisted there was no link to ‘blood money’ trade deals with Colonel Gaddafi. Megrahi, a Libyan, was convicted of killing 270 people by blowing up an American airliner over Lockerbie in December 1988. He was sent home early from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds because he had terminal prostate cancer. He died last year. Ministers insisted his release was a decision taken solely by the Scottish government. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The email was sent by Sir Vincent Fean, then the UK’s top diplomat in Libya, to Mr Blair, ahead of his visit to Gaddafi in June 2008. It updated Mr Blair, who quit Downing Street a year earlier, on the UK’s ongoing relations with the brutal dictator.

Prior to this, Mr Blair met Gaddafi and his prime minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi in Sirte in a desert tent. The pair thrashed out a memorandum of understanding on prisoner transfers just before BP announced the firm was investing about £545million to search for £13billion of oil in Libya. But according to the email, Mr Blair and Baghdadi agreed Libya would buy a missile defence system from MBDA, part-owned by BAE Systems. When he returned in June 2008 the Government appeared to see a chance for him to push for the arms deal to be sealed. Release: Lockerbie bomber al-Megrahi was released from prison in 2009 with only 'weeks to live'. He died almost three years later Sir Vincent wrote: ‘There is one bilateral issue which I hope TB [Tony Blair] can raise, as a legacy issue. On 29 May 07 in Sirte, he and Libya’s PM agreed that Libya would buy an air defence system (Jernas) from the UK (MBDA).

‘One year on, MBDA are now back in Tripoli aiming to agree and sign the contract now — worth £400million, and up to 2,000 jobs in the UK. We think we have Col Q’s [Gaddafi’s] goodwill for this contract. This issue can also be raised with Libya’s PM. It was PM Baghdadi who told the media on 29 May 07 that Libya would buy British. ‘Linked (by Libya) is the issue of the 4 bilateral justice agreements about which TB signed an MoU with Baghdadi on 29 May. The MoU says they will be negotiated within the year: they have been. Atrocity: 270 people died when Pam Am flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, in Scotland on December 21, 1988, in the worst terror attack ever seen on British soil They are all ready for signature in London as soon as Libya fulfils its promise on Jernas.’ The prisoner transfer agreement was signed in November 2008.

Susan Cohen, whose daughter Theo, 20, was among those killed at Lockerbie, said: ‘These revelations simply serve to increase the awful stench that still surrounds the whole scandal. They turned human tragedy into a business transaction. It’s absolutely reprehensible.’ Lord Mandelson, Business Secretary at the time of Megrahi’s release, said then that it was ‘offensive’ to suggest it was linked to improving commercial relations with Libya. He said yesterday: ‘I was not aware of the correspondence covered in this FOI request.’ Mr Blair’s spokesman said the email did not show ‘the UK government was trying to link the defence deal and Megrahi’. He said: ‘Actually it shows the opposite – that any linkage was from the Libyan side. As far as we’re aware there was no linkage on the UK side. What the email in fact shows is that, consistent with what we have always said, it was made clear to the then Libyan leader that the release of Megrahi was a matter for Scotland. Of course the Libyans, as they always did, raised Megrahi.’ MBDA said yesterday the Libyans never signed the arms deal.

Deal: Tony Blair agreed with Colobnel Gaddafi that Libya would sign a £400million air defence contract Read more: Bill Text - ACR-92 Release of convicted Lockerbie bomber.

Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi is a Libyan terrorist who was convicted on 270 counts of murder on January 31, 2001, for his part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988; and WHEREAS, On December 21, 1988, Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 named “Clipper Maid of the Seas,” was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members, in what has come to be referred to as the “Lockerbie Bombing”; and WHEREAS, Eleven more victims were killed on the ground by large sections of the plane that fell in and around the town of Lockerbie; and WHEREAS, One hundred eighty of the victims, exactly two-thirds of all the victims of the Lockerbie Bombing, were American citizens, and seven of those victims were from California: Jerry Don Avritt, a 46-year-old flight engineer from Westminster; Surinder Mohan Bhatia, a 51-year-old businessman from Los Angeles; St

acie Denise Franklin, a 20-year-old flight attendant from San Diego; Matthew Kevin Gannon, a 34-year-old foreign service officer from Los Angeles; Paul Isaac Garret, a 41-year-old flight attendant from Napa; Barry Joesph Valentino, a 28-year-old exhibit designer from San Francisco; and Jonathan White, a 33-year-old accountant from North Hollywood; and WHEREAS, After being convicted on 270 counts of murder for his part in the bombing, Abdelbasset was sentenced to life imprisonment; and WHEREAS, Abdelbaset was recently released by the Scottish Government and allowed to return to Libya, after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and given a life expectancy of less than three months; and WHEREAS, The release of Abdelbaset, ordered by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary of Justice Kenny MacAskill, is morally reprehensible and flies in the face of justice; and WHEREAS, Abdelbaset lacked compassion for the innocent victims of the Lockerbie Bombing and their families, and, in light of this fact, compassion for Abdelbaset is inappropriate; and WHEREAS, The early release of a known terrorist and mass murderer sets a dangerous precedent and opens the window for an even more

 dangerous and deadly terrorist attack in the name of “martyrdom”; and WHEREAS, Abdelbaset has shown no regret for his actions and was greeted in Libya to a hero’s welcome, both of which are highly disrespectful of the Lockerbie Bombing victims’ families; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the people of California stand united in sympathy and support for the Lockerbie Bombing victims’ families, for fairness and justice, and in strong opposition to the irresponsible actions of the Scottish Government in releasing Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, a convicted mass murderer.

Question: Name the convicted Lockerbie bomber released in August 2009?
Answer: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi