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Senate Report: Brits Freed Lockerbie Bomber For BP Deal
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 22, 2010
Modified Dec 22, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 22, 2010
Modified Dec 22, 2010
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Confirming what was suspected all along, a Senate report says that the Scottish government released the convicted Lockerbie bomber for oil money. According to the Daily News, "Libya's threats to shut British-based oil giant BP out of deals worth hundreds of millions led Britain and the regional government of Scotland to turn loose plotter Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi in August 2009, the report said." Megrahi was being held for the 1988 bombing that killed 246 people on Pan Am flight 103—189 of the passengers were American. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said the release was prompted by threats of "commercial warfare."
The Scots claimed that the "compassionate grounds" release was because Megrahi, who has terminal kidney cancer, was "facing his final days," estimating he had 90 days left to live. But that was August of 2009, and, after being welcomed in Libya as a hero, he's still alive (though he may actually be on his deathbed now). This past August, the Wall Street Journal looked at how none of Megrahi's specialists were consulted on the release and BP did land a lucrative drilling contract after his return.
The Scottish government said of the report, "This is not an official report of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - it is an incorrect and inaccurate rehash by four senators of material that has been in the public domain for many months, and we entirely reject their false interpretation." Well, it is an official report that Senator Menendez has on his website (PDF)—the investigation was started after British and Scottish officials refused to testify in front of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Tagged
Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi
BP
libya
lockerbie
oil
robert menendez
scotland
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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