EDINBURGH, Scotland — Scotland's justice minister Monday defended his much-criticized decision to free the Lockerbie bomber, as the U.S. State Department said that though it disagreed "passionately," the move would not affect relations between America and Britain.
The Scottish administration has faced unrelenting criticism from both the U.S. government and the families of American victims of the 1988 airline bombing since it announced last week it was freeing Abdel Baset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds. The terminally ill al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, returned to his native Libya on Thursday, where he was greeted by crowds waving Libyan and Scottish flags.
The United States will stand by Britain even though it believes the decision was a mistake, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.
"We made it quite clear that we disagreed passionately with this decision because we thought it sent the wrong signal to not only the families, but also to terrorists. But I really discourage you from thinking that we necessarily have to have some kind of tit-for tat retaliation because of it. I just don't see it - not with Britain. Not with Scotland either," Kelly said. Kelly's words follow daysof criticism from top U.S. officials.
Justice Secretary Kenny Mac-Askill doggedly defended the decision Monday but said Libya had broken a promise by giving the convicted terrorist a hero's welcome. Scottish lawmakers came back from summer vacation a week early for an emotional debate on the issue.
Britain, meanwhile, scrapped a trade visit to Libya by Prince Andrew afer the release.
MacAskill said the warm homecoming for al-Megrahi breached assurances from Libyan authorities that "any return would be dealt with in a low-key and sensitive fashion."
"It is a matter of great regret that Mr. [al-] Megrahi was received in such an inappropriate manner," Mac Askill told the Scottish Parliament. "It showed no compassion or sensitivity to the families of the 270 victims of Lockerbie."
A member of the Libyan government's negotiating team who took part in the talks about al-Megrahi's release told The Associated Press that the Libyan government had not organized al-Megrahi's reception and had not broken any agreement with Scotland. The official did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
He said no government official met al-Megrahi at the airport and pointed out that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, who traveled with al-Megrahi on the plane, is not a government official.
The official said the crowd that threw rose petals and cheered al-Megrahi at the airport heard of his return through the media and spontaneously chose to greet him.
By Libyan standards, al-Megrahi's welcome was relatively muted. Hundreds of people waiting in the crowd for his plane were rushed away by authorities at the last minute, and the arrival was not aired live on state TV.
Back in Scotland, MacAskill said his decision to free al-Megrahi "was not based on political, economic or diplomatic considerations."
"This was my decision and my decision alone," he said. "I stand by it and I live with the consequences."
The decision has prompted calls for a trade boycott of Scotland and widespread criticism of the nationalist government in Edinburgh.
Compassionate release is a regular feature of the Scottish system when a prisoner is near death.
Information for this article was contributed by Jill Lawless and Khales El-Deeb of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 08/25/2009