Jack Straw’s letter on Mehgrahi release

BBC:

Justice Secretary Jack Straw dropped a demand to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from a Libyan prisoner transfer accord, the Sunday Times has reported.

Letters leaked to the paper say Mr Straw wanted to exclude Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi from the accord.

He backed down citing “overwhelming” UK interests. A major oil deal was being discussed at the time.

Mr Straw called the news “academic” – as Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds, not under the transfer accord.

And he stressed that the Scottish authorities would still have had a veto over any move to send Megrahi home under the transfer agreement.

A stalled oil deal was ratified by the Libyans six weeks after the government dropped its bid to exclude him from the prisoner transfer agreement (PTA), the paper says.

Before:
Scotland denies any oil deal in Mehgrahi case.
US offered money to stop Mehgrahi’s release.
Lockerbie bomber’s release: an oil deal.
On Lockerbie bomber’s release: an oil deal?
Gadhaffi’s son asks why so angry about Lockerbie bomber’s release.
More details on Lockerbie bomber’s health asked.
Victims from Lockerbie bomber against Gadhafi’s visit to NJ.