State Department: We never endorsed Libyan bomber’s release … to Libya

The State Department is pushing back against assertions that it signaled its agreement to the release of convicted PanAm Flight 103 bomber Abdelbasset al-Megrahi last year, only to strongly criticize that very release now.

In a rare publication of a diplomatic letter, State is hoping to combat the narrative of its involvement in the Megrahi affair as told in this July 25 article in the Times of London newspaper, headlined, "Revealed: Document exposes US double-talk on Lockerbie."

The Times story quotes from a letter from Richard LeBaron, deputy head of the U.S. Embassy in London, to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, expressing the U.S. position on the potential release of Megrahi on compassionate grounds due to his impending death from cancer.

According to the Times, the letter shows that the U.S. preferred to have Megrahi released rather than see him transferred to a prison in Libya. The U.S. government refused to permit the Scottish authorities to publish the letter, arguing it would prevent "frank and open communications" with other governments, according to the paper.

But that concern was outweighed by State’s desire to set the record straight, as the department released the full text of the Aug. 21, 2009, letter today. State’s aim is to show that the U.S. position was that Megrahi should stay in Scotland one way or the other, rather than return to Libya — where he received a hero’s welcome and remains to this day.

First, LeBaron did say that compassionate release was preferable to prisoner transfer:

"The United States is not prepared to support Megrahi’s release on compassionate release or bail," Lebaron wrote. "Nevertheless, if Scottish authorities come to the conclusion that Megrahi must be released from Scottish custody, the U.S. position is that conditional release on compassionate grounds would be a far preferable alternative to prisoner transfer, which we strongly oppose."

But he also made clear that Megrahi had better be close to death:

"[A]ny such release should only come after the results of independent and comprehensive medical exams clearly establishing that Megrahi’s life expectancy is less than three months. The results of these exams should be made available to the United States and the families of the victims of Pan Am 103. The justification of releasing Megrahi on compassionate grounds would be more severely undercut the longer he is free before his actual death," he said.

And the letter also states clearly that if released, the State Department wants Megrahi to stay in Scotland:

"[T]he United States would strongly oppose any release that would permit Megrahi to travel outside of Scotland. We believe that the welcoming reception that Megrahi might receive if he is permitted to travel abroad would be extremely inappropriate given Megrahi’s conviction for a heinous crime that continues to have a deep and profound impact on so many. As such, compassionate release or bail should be conditioned on Megrahi remaining in Scotland," the letter states.

"To avoid the worst possible outcome — a hero’s welcome for Megrahi in Libya — we indicated to Scottish authorities that, though we did not endorse Megrahi’s early release under any scenario, compassionate release conditioned on Megrahi remaining under close supervision in Scotland would be less objectionable than any release permitting his travel outside of Scotland," the office of State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the Scottish government did not heed those views."

Meanwhile, it appears that British Prime Minister David Cameron will not compel former British officials to appear at this week’s Senate hearing on the issue, despite pleas from four senators.