US: Obama tells Brown of disappointment over Lockerbie release
Fri Sep 11 03:39:20 EST 2009
Thu Sep 10 17:39:20 UTC 2009
WASHINGTON, Sept 10 Agencies - US President Barack Obama told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a telephone call of his "disappointment" at Scotland's freeing of the Lockerbie bomber, the White House says.
Obama's comments are the latest sign of US anger over the release of Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi last month by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds after concluding he has terminal cancer.
"The President expressed his disappointment over the Scottish Executive's decision to release convicted Pan Am 103 Bomber al-Megrahi back to Libya," the White House said in a statement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a spokesman from Brown's office said the call between the two men was "warm and substantive".
Brown and Obama spoke on the phone for 40 minutes on Thursday and exchanged views on the contentious decision by Scotland's justice officials to free Megrahi on compassionate grounds, AP reported.
"It did come up, and the prime minister made it clear that it was a matter for the Scottish government," the spokesman for Brown's office said.
"The two leaders concluded that the special relationship was as strong as ever and that there continued to be good cooperation across the full global agenda," the spokesman said.
Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison on August 20 after doctors said he had terminal cancer.
The decision was made by Scotland's government, not Brown - who has declined to say whether he thought the release was justified.
Families of some American victims have reacted with anger, and the release was sharply criticised by Obama and FBI director Robert Mueller.
Megrahi is the only person ever convicted in connection of the 1998 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, which killed all 259 people on board - mostly Americans - and 11 people on the ground.
The leaders also discussed Afghanistan, where US and British troops have suffered heavy losses in a push to improve security ahead of the country's election August 20.
The poll has been marred by reports of ballot-box stuffing and suspicious tallies.
It was the first conversation between the two leaders since July.
