UK's Brown: No deal struck on Lockerbie bomber

[September 02, 2009]  BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown insists he didn't strike any deal with Libya over the return of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.

Brown said Wednesday he gave no assurances to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi over the fate of al-Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The bombing killed 270 people.

Libya says a British minister told officials that Brown did not want al-Megrahi, who is terminally ill with cancer, to die in a Scottish prison. But Brown did not elaborate on that.

Brown says "there was no conspiracy, no cover up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers."

___

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) -- Britain did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison, Britain's foreign secretary acknowledged Wednesday, as Scotland's parliament debated the decision to free the terminally ill Libyan and let him die at home.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband defended Britain's government in a BBC interview following the release of confidential documents about discussions regarding convicted bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi. Miliband confirmed details that emerged in the documents, suggesting that the U.K. had not sought to have al-Megrahi serve out his life sentence.

"We did not want him to die in prison, no, we weren't seeking his death in prison," Miliband said.

Miliband did not elaborate, but any death in custody might have raised suspicions among some in the Arab world of state involvement in his death.

The remarks, and the release of the documents, offer the first formal indication of the British government's thoughts on the release. The government had previously refused to be drawn into the issue, saying it was up to the government in Scotland to decide on justice issues.

Al-Megrahi, 57, was the only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. Scotland freed him on compassionate grounds Aug. 20 after doctors said he had terminal cancer.

Opposition leader David Cameron immediately seized upon Miliband's remarks, demanding an investigation into the controversy.

The British government released the documents Tuesday in an attempt to quell speculation that it had pushed al-Megrahi's release to boost economic cooperation with Libya. But the documents fanned more resentment in the United States, where al-Megrahi's release was vehemently opposed.

Britain has regional governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that are responsible for local issues but retains power over foreign policy.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the decision to free al-Megrahi was Scotland's. He now faces increased pressure to say how he viewed Scotland's decision -- a stand he was been reluctant to take because of domestic political pressure to keep regional issues separate from the national ones.

Al-Megrahi was sentenced to life in 2001 with a minimum term of 27 years. Releasing prisoners on compassionate grounds is a regular feature of Scottish justice for dying inmates.

Anger has been percolating on both sides of the Atlantic since al-Megrahi flew home to a hero's welcome in Libya.

The families of some American victims have said they were disgusted by the bomber's release, which was also sharply criticized by President Barack Obama, FBI director Robert Mueller and Attorney General Eric Holder.

"The U.K. has put incredible pressure on Scotland to do this thing, and they finally caved in," said Bob Monetti, whose 20-year-old brother Richard from Cherry Hill, N.J. was among those killed.

The disclosures followed claims in the British media that the British government struck a deal with Libyan authorities to include al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement because that was in Britain's best interests as a major oil deal was being negotiated.

Britain has growing economic interests in Libya -- from oil exploration to financial services. Last year, British imports from Libya topped some 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion).

But the British government has repeatedly denied its role in the release and said there was no pressing commercial deal.

[Associated Press]

Associated Press writers David Stringer and Jill Lawless in London, Devlin Barret in Washington, Alfred De Montesquiou in Tripoli, Libya, and Geoff Mulvihill in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.