Lockerbie | featured news

The Scottish government Monday took aim at critics of its decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, a day after CNN found him comatose and near death.

The only man convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing posted his legal defense to the Web on Friday, saying he hopes it will help convince people he had nothing to do with the attack that killed 270 people.

Britain agreed to include Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer deal with Libya because of "overwhelming interests" before an oil deal was sealed, a newspaper reported.

Scotland's parliament is being recalled for an emergency session amid growing international outrage over last week's release of the man convicted for the Lockerbie plane bombing.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday no deals were ever made with Libya while he was in power to arrange the Lockerbie bomber's release, a move that has caused outrage in the United States.

It was "deeply distressing" and "deeply upsetting" to see the convicted Lockerbie bomber get a hero's welcome in Libya, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Friday.

A Scottish court is expected to release convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi on compassionate grounds, senior State Department officials tell CNN.