Lockerbie bomber freed, returns to cheers in libya

The man convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, two decades ago received a boisterous welcome when his plane landed in his native Libya on Thursday.
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, suffering from terminal prostate cancer, was freed from prison in Scotland, with Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill citing compassionate grounds for the release and saying al Megrahi was "going home to die."

A large crowd, waving flags and honking horns, greeted al Megrahi at the military airport in Tripoli.

The 57-year-old has three months to live, according to Scottish authorities.

"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available," MacAskill said. "Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown."

Al Megrahi issued a statement that his attorney Tony Kelly read to reporters. In it, al Megrahi said the families of the Lockerbie victims "have my sincere sympathy for their unimaginable loss."

"Many people ... I know are upset that my appeal has come to the end, but nothing more can be done about the circumstances of the Lockerbie bombing," al Megrahi said in the statement.

"I share their frustration. I had most to gain and nothing to lose about the whole truth coming out, until my diagnosis of cancer."

Al Megrahi continued to maintain his innocence, complaining that he had to spend years in prison for something he did not do.

"The remaining days of my life will have to be spent under the shadow of the wrongness of my conviction," he said. Video Watch Lockerbie bomber maintain his innocence »

Al Megrahi said he never will return to Scotland, and he offered his gratitude and best wishes to the Scottish people.

"To those victims' relatives who can bear to hear me say this, they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the unimaginable loss that they have suffered," he said.

"To those who bear me ill will, the only thing I can say is that I do not return that to you."

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[ItsAmadWorld2]

I think William Wallace would be rolling in his grave over this.

[merchvent]

This Pardon has Obama's fingerprints all over it. Khadaffi is coming to NY in September. This is how the US state department operates in "smoothing relations". US officials only pretend faint outrage AFTER the videos appear on Youtube of a "terminally ill" terrorist tap dancing in the arab street.

[ItsAmadWorld2]

@Calengela

Hard to believe what is reported about this guy. Those who are now taking over Libya are Muslim, and, in Islam, one is able to lie. He could be at death's door, or, he could be far from it. Due to taqqiya, you really can't trust a Muslim's words.

[ItsAmadWorld2]

@Calengela

Yeah, I can imagine it would be difficult for them, being that they are probably dusty skeletons now.

[Calengela]

@ItsAmadWorld2 What you're probably not told over there by your media is that Abdel Basset Al Megrahi is still our prisoner, he's still a prisoner of Scotland under licence, he wasn't released in public to fly off free as a bird, he was given specific instructions of the licence agreement, if he breeches the licence, like leaving the country, he would be extradited back to Scotland.

Anyway if you see the news now, he's near death on life support, and apparently someone's stolen his cancer drugs.

[Calengela]

@ItsAmadWorld2 I didn't say that, maybe not maybe so, they're two of Scotland's historical figures but the point is, they obviously played no part in this.

[ItsAmadWorld2]

@Calengela

Aye.

[ItsAmadWorld2]

@Calengela

Oh, so you're saying Robert the Bruce would roll over in his grave over this. If so, I agree.

[ItsAmadWorld2]

@Calengela

So, are you saying William Wallace WOULDN'T turn over in his grave over this? :)

[Calengela]

@ItsAmadWorld2 'Scots law' is what runs Scotland, not Yankee laws, plus the Westminster question has some answering to do, considering that it was the UK parliament that's found to have done everything in it's power to facilitate Al,Megrahi's release, Wikileaks released classified documents showing what really was going on behind scenes, Scotland does not need oil, it has it's own vast oil from the North Sea industry, England however doesn't, & once Scotland goes independent, it weakens England.

[Calengela]

@ItsAmadWorld2 Con't, And they tried to portrey King Robert I (the true Braveheart) as a medieval version of a Scots Prodestant, hence why they made him side with the English against his own country, which never ever happened, that is probably the worst inaccuracy of all.

Along with Wallace, Guardian of Scotland for a time, shown as a poor man more like how the Irish were at the time, when in actual fact, he was a wealthy well educated land owner and Scottish Knight.

Scotland was much wealthier.

[Calengela]

@ItsAmadWorld2 That's the problem with you dumb Yank bastards though, every single thing about Scotland is synonymous with that bullshit film Braveheart to you dozy cunts over there, which was written by Plastic Paddies for modern political reasons, hence it's severe inaccuracies.

Like the name Braveheart was never used on Wallace, it was King Robert I of Scotland, who done much more for Scotland over all.

Nobody wears fuckin kilts in Scotland any more, that's all 1600's stuff.