WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin NewsScots lawmakers vote not to back Lockerbie release

Scots lawmakers vote not to back Lockerbie release

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - Scotland's Parliament has voted to reject the government's decision to release the Lockerbie bomber.

The Scottish Parliament rejected a government bid to gain an endorsement of its decision to free Abdel Baset al-Megrahi. The Libyan was convicted in the 1988 attack on a Pan Am airliner that killed 270 people.

The government had asked the parliament to endorse the decision as "consistent with the principles of Scottish justice." But by a 73-50 vote, the legislators backed an opposition amendment condemning Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's decision as mishandled - and saying they disagreed with the government's action.

The vote is largely symbolic and was not an attempt to topple the Scottish government.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - Britain's prime minister sought Wednesday to beat back criticism surrounding the release of the Lockerbie bomber, insisting that he gave no assurances to Libya's leaders that the bomber would be freed in exchange for oil contracts.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he offered no promises to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi over the fate of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Al-Megrahi is the only person convicted in the bombing, which killed 270 people.

"There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Col. Gadhafi," Brown said. "We made absolutely clear to the Libyans and everybody else that this was a decision for the Scottish government."

Brown has been deluged with criticism since Scotland freed al-Megrahi, who is terminally ill with cancer, on compassionate grounds last month. Reporters have dogged his every appearance with questions on the controversy, and his statement followed the release of confidential British documents about discussions regarding al-Megrahi.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband confirmed details that emerged in the documents that suggested Britain had not sought to have al-Megrahi serve out his life sentence in a Scottish prison.

"We did not want him to die in prison, no, we weren't seeking his death in prison," Miliband told the BBC on Wednesday.

Miliband did not elaborate, but any death in custody might have raised suspicions among some in the Arab world of state involvement in al-Megrahi's death.

Miliband's remarks, and the release of the documents on Tuesday, offered 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 its own justice issues.

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

Al-Megrahi, 57, was sentenced to life in prison in 2001 for the explosion, Britain's worst terrorist attack. Scotland freed him on compassionate grounds Aug. 20 after doctors said he had terminal cancer.

Releasing prisoners on compassionate grounds is a regular feature of Scottish justice for dying inmates.

The British government released the documents 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.

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.

Brown even faced criticism from one of his own former ministers, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. She broke ranks from other Labour stalwarts to denounce the decision.

"It does not feel right to me that someone, who has been convicted for an extremely serious offense, (should) be able to return, in a way in which his victims were not able to, back to Libya," Smith told the BBC. "Of course we have to be compassionate with people who are in prison and coming to the end of their lives but I am not sure I would have made the same decision."

The document disclosures followed claims in the British media that the British government struck a deal with Libya to include al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement because a major oil deal was being negotiated at the time.

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.

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

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