What's the truth behind the Lockerbie scandal?

Nearly a week after the unexpected freeing of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was serving a life sentence for his role in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, there’s only one thing certain about the case: that the Scottish government’s “compassion” rationale for the release is almost certainly poppycock of the highest order.

Governments don’t turn loose convicted mass murderers to spend the rest of their days amid the comforts of home, especially when that killer is the only man ever held responsible for the most deadly terror bombing in British history. Were that really the situation here, the Scots’ soft-heartedness would rank as an egregious insult to the memory of the 270 dead. The hero’s welcome the ex-Libyan spy received at Tripoli rubbed the surviving family members’ noses in Scotland’s shame.

Clearly, there’s more to the story.

In recent days, evidence has emerged that the British government might have been quietly seeking al-Megrahi’s release as part of an attempt to improve commercial ties to oil-rich Libya.

Dallas Morning News