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The White House

Statement by the Press Secretary on the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________
 For Immediate Release                                                     August 20, 2009

Statement by the Press Secretary on the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi
The United States deeply regrets the decision by the Scottish Executive to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi.  Megrahi was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which blew up over Scotland on December 21, 1988.  As we have expressed repeatedly to officials of the government of the United Kingdom and to Scottish authorities, we continue to believe that Megrahi should serve out his sentence in Scotland.  On this day, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who live every day with the loss of their loved ones.  We recognize the effects of such a loss weigh upon a family forever.
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Background:
Secretary of State Clinton, Attorney General Holder, the White House, and other U.S. government officials have had extensive contacts with their counterparts in Scotland and in the United Kingdom to emphasize that we do not support the release of Megrahi