Britain releases Lockerbie letters

BRITAIN has released documents detailing confidential exchanges over the Lockerbie bomber’s release – letters it hoped will end speculation that Abdel Baset al-Megrahi’s freedom was used to sweeten economic and political deals between Libya and Britain.

But the documents are more likely stir more anger in the US, which was opposed to freeing al-Megrahi all along.

The letters show that British authorities deferred to Scotland on whether to release the only man convicted in the 1988 airline bombing, but those same officials also repeatedly stressed the importance of growing British -Libyan interests.