al-megrahi to be placed under house arrest. the manner of his return at naturally strained burgeoning relations with libya. at the moment, no one knows of this displeasure will result in action, potentially death -- jeopardize and lucrative investment deals with western companies. >> we will have more on this story a little later and of course bbc.com is where you will find the background. let us look at the rest of the ms. they have been quick to claim victory, both president karzai and his main challenger abdullah already are saying they won yesterday's presidential election. preliminary results will be released next week. the counting of ballots is over, according to the election authorities. let us go to the afghan capital and join my colleagues there. >> welcome to kabul on a warm, sunny day. the afghan election continued to take its course. voters have voted. we are still not sure how many. the counting is almost done and now the compiling begins. it could be a day or so before we have the unofficial results but that has

al-megrahi served just over 11 days for each murder. we have this report from glasgow. >> this is the moment abdelbaset ali mohmet al-megrahi left british soil. his papers saying he was released due to compassionate grounds or in his hands as he walked slowly up the steps to the airplane. he served 10 years of a sentence. the decision to release and was made by the justice secretary. this was pointed out just how hard the decision was to make. >> our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion be available. it is dictated that justice be served but mercy be shown. >> there had been years of from an angry crowd as the libyan left prison under police escort -- there had been jeers. he was the man convicted of britain's worst terrorist attack. earlier this week, al-megrahi 4 for to the opportunity to finally clear his name, but in a letter released today, he referred to his innocence. he said, "i have been separated from my family as a result of what i consider to be an unjust decision. i have to try to bear that with a

abdelbaset ali al megrahi.can y confirm what conversations he's had and what laws he explained to them, the arrangements put in place to recall to custody, should that prove to be necessary? >> well, as you are aware, w do not operate the socia work dictly from the house. it was for that reason it was read to the social department who became responsible. clearly it is appropriate of these discussions. clearly the requirements ould beaid down that mr. adelbaset ali al megrahi. i will be happy and doubtless will be of the problems. the fact of the matter is the guidance and laws prescribed that it has to be east and there is no character. that is what is laid out by the due process that i followed. as we say we sought that ensure that appropriate conditions will be i place, place of residency, limitations on travel, other matters in scotland but also tabling into account the me car already and unique circumstances relating to this case. >> presiding officer, someone who is in theay-after panel was brought down. i

al megrahi, of course, was convicted for the 1988 bombing of pan am 103 over lockerbie scotland. the terror attack killed 270 people. and today, once again, many people were demanding to know just why had he been set free. this matter of justice is once again our "lead focus" tonight. >> reporter: abdel baset al megrahi should not be welcomed back to tripoli, that was the message, the warning to libya from president obama in america. the demand responsible for the deaths of 270 people, the biggest terrorist attack in britain was treated more like a celebrity or royalty changed into a dark suit, he was met off of the plane and then repeatedly hugged by colonel gadhafis own son in front of a jubilant crowd. this morning the foreign secretary david miliband said the sight of a mass murder getting a hero's welcome is deeply distressing. gave the go-ahead for the compassionate release said the celebrations were neither proper, wise or appropriate. but in tripoli a speaker at the youth rally was triumphant. >> translator: this m has been distinguished by the safe return of our brother,

what is al-megrahi doing now? >> obviously you know both gadaffi and al-megrahi say that they had nothing to do with this bombing. so they continue to at least al-megrahi, is continuing to say that the truth will come out. he is not under house arrest as president obama has said he would like to see the man under. he's at his home in libya, according to the times reporter who interviewed him yesterday, there is a steady stream of, quote, smartly dressed visitors driving bmw's to visit him. he's talking about how there is no need for house arrest because the only place he's going to is the hospital for his cancer treatment. and he is, again, saying that he's going to put out some information that may change the world's opinion. but again, all of this probably quite troubling to washington. we haven't heard a lot of comments other than the f.b.i. director's letter today which was a separate issue to the scottish justice minister. but this is likely to further inflame tensions between tripoly and washington because w

when al-megrahi comes home, he will likely get the same. britons think that a line has been drawn over lockerbie, but others have been not so sure. >> we have a timeline of the bombing and more information on bbc.com. at least 20 people have been killed, more than 30 injured in two suicide bomb attacks in northern iraq the attack targeted two cafes in the region of mosul. north korea has released a south korean engineer for hyundai. he had been detained since march for allegedly insulting the north's communist leadership. there is no sign of the vessel that has disappeared from the north sea. it is believed it has been hijacked. russia has sent up to five navy ships in the search for the hell out -- in the search for the ship. 300 people are missing in just one taiwan village. latest official figures is growing public anger and there are plans to put more effort into the operation. 4000 troops will join the search team. we now have a report from one of the worst hit areas. >> it is a battle to keep moral high but the search goes on. even mo

now the only person found guilty of the crime abdel al- megrahi is a free man because he has cancer and only months to live. >> i'm experiencing a new level of grief. it's an undertow of the rip tide of despair that this could have come about. >> reporter: they believe while al-megrahi may have been the only one in jail but the bombing involved many more people. they say the big fish escaped justice and now al-megrahi has, too. >> they are members of the j.a.l., the libyan intelligence agency, and we feel it was state ordered. megrahi himself. >> everybody on that plane has something to offer. whole families were lost. a 2-year-old baby. this is just incomprehensible that they would let this man go home. >> reporter: she has published some of miriam's writings and

al. megrahi, the man convicted of the lockerbie bombing. scottish and british governments say, absolutely not. but al megrahi's f and new business opportunities have always been part of bilateral negotiations. 2007, colonel gadhafi's regime sought to re-enter the international community after three decades of sanctions and the then british prime minister tony blair offered a hand. they signed a number of agreements. making a prison transfer deal, a massive oil contract involving bp followed immediately. this is a so-called package deal? >> a so-called deal in the desert, two things emerged. one was a huge trunch of opportunity in the libyan oil industry for a very well-known international oil company. and the quid pro quo perhaps was the agreement that megrahi would be returned, i'm speculating when i say that, but it does strain common sense a little to believe that there was no connection between the two. >> reporter: the libyans wanted al megrahi to return home and a memorandum on prisoner transfers was drawn up and agreed to as part of

he called in his letter overwhelming british interest should dictate that abdel basset mohamed al-megrahi the terrorist would be covered by an agreement they were working on, with libya, prisoner transfers and shortly after that, shift in position by jack straw, libya approved a very significant deal for british petroleum and it's important to understand, jack straw had been foreign secretary in the blair government, just a few years before, and he was somebody in the multi-involved in british foreign relations, entertaining to the scottish authority -- explaining to the scottish authorities what was going an and it is as dispositive evidence, about as much as you can get, there was a release the terrorist deal here. >> eric: it was a $24 billion deal, and we have seen it before and oil for food, with saddam hussein, and the claims they -- basically, france, russia, were -- and china were bribed to support saddam hussein and i remember asking kofi annan about that and what they're economic interests and how do they affect national interests, especially with something like this? >> one of

al megrahi always maintained his innocence, never apologized. tonight, al megrahi arrived on libyan soil to a hero's welcome, thousands greeted his plane and danced in the streets. he recently dropped a second appeal, paving the way for his compassionate release. back in scotland, al megrahi's lawyer read a statement on his behalf. >> to those victims who can hear me say this, they continue to have my sincere sympathy for the loss they have suffered. >> reporter: al megrahi said after his horrible ordeal, perhaps his only true liberation will be death. for those who blame him, death can't come soon enough. randi kaye, cnn, new york. >> they call it compassionate release. the mother of a 20-year-old woman who died on pan am flight 103 called the decision to free al megrahi appalling. as for the terrorist, he had his lawyer do the talking. listen. >> i have been faced with an appalling choice to die in prison and hope that my name is cleared posthumously or -- still carrying the weight of the guilty verdict which we know will never be lifted. >> j

al-megrahi was found guilty. the families of those killed are expressing horror at the potential for al-megrahi being released. the scottish government says they have not put pressure on al-megrahi to drop his appeal. the attack which start this scottish town remains an unsolved crime. -- the attack which scarred this scottish town. >> president obama is selling his form of health care. british leaders are backing their national health service as it becomes a weapon in the american debate. 15,000 people in taiwan appear trapped in remote mountain villages. less than a week before the presidential elections in afghanistan, the main candidates spent the day traveling the country. on the karzapresident karzai is- runner. his main challenger is the former prime minister abdulla abdulla. we were speaking to him about how he would improve security. >> my first target would be thousands and thousands of people have joined the taliban because of other grievances. all of those that have joined the taliban are not among th

>> the decision on whether abdelbaset ali al-megrahi is released comes down to one man, the scottish justice secretary. he is under intense pressure from all sides. american senators phil very strongly that abdelbaset ali al- megrahi should remain in prison and perhaps die in prison. he does have terminal prostate cancer. his defense team said it was a very serious form of prostate cancer. they said abdelbaset ali al- megrahi's absolute priority was to spend what time he has left with his family. he is the only man ever convicted of britain's worst terrorist atrocity. his decision today to drop his appeal by no means clears the deck for him to return to libya. the justice secretary is expected to make a decision later in the week. today's decision leaves many british relatives very disappointed. there were hoping for more answers to the many questions they still have over what happened 20 years ago. they say this is a very sad day and the worst possible decision for their families. >> thank you for that update. this is world today -- this is "world news" today. coming up -- celebrati

. >> reporr: abdel baset al megrahi should not be welcomed ba to tripoli, that s the message, the warni to libya om president obama in america. the demand responsible for the deaths of 270people, the biggest terrorist atck in britain was treated more lik a celebry or royalty changed into a dark suit, he was met off of thelane and then repeatedly gged by colonel gadhafis o son in fr of jubilant crowd. this morning the foreign secretary david miband said the sght of a ma murder getting a hero's welcome is deeply distresng. gave the go-ahead f the compassione release sa the celebrations were neithe oper, wise or appropriate. but in tripoli a speaker at the youth rally was triumphant. >>ranslator: this m has been distinguied by the safe retu of our other, abdel set al megrai, a new great victory add to the strength of his revolution. it's greatness, it's policy, its historic path and in its leader colonel gadhafi. >> reporter: but it's be the flying of the scottish sold ire flag in celebration at the airporthat's angered politicians of all the oppotion parentsn scotland, who all now condemn

al-megrahi. >> now, shep, that is simply not true.i hate to call british prime minister gordon brown and jack straw lawyers, but they have -- the al-megrahi release is clearly a matter of foreign policy. it is gordon brown and jack straw had wanted to stop the release of al-megrahi, they could have done so -- if they had wanted to, they could have done so, and it could have been that they did not because of its multibillion-dollar oil deal. shepard: if they did that without saying anything to the united states, i am sorry, they will have to do something about that. gecko: right. uh, well maybe how geico's the third-largest car insurance company in america? nice tidbit there. boss: exactly. and i've been thinking, looking a bit more businesslike might help too. gecko: oh my. uhhh, no it's, what's, what's the word... vogeico. 15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance. >> hi, i am janice dean pm we are watching a southern california, and the weather is not helping firefighters contain that wildfire just north of los a

terminally ill, abdelbaset ali al-megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds. the government is rejecting suggestions the real reason was to smooth commercial relations with libya. christian frazier reports from tripoli. >> this is certainly how libya wanted this trade -- but how much damage to this celebration of al-megrahi due to the relationship with the outside world? he was welcomed home like a decorated soldier. scottish plaids weighed in jubilation. today, the government kept us away from his family, but we did speak to his brother in law. >> we are saddened by the tragedy of lockerbie and the people who lost their children. but i assure you -- he is innocent. if you could see him now, you would realize it is impossible he could do it. >> that is not how the british government sees it. they warned libyans within an hour of the plane taking off. a letter arrived from downing street. in that, gordon brown asked the libyans to act with "sensitivity." he said the british government expected a low-key return. clearly the message was confused or ignored. state

for the first time to the news but still did not say whether he supported the decision to free al megrahi when he met mr. gadhafi over the summer, i made it absolutely clear to him that we had no role in making the decision about megrahi's future. because it was a quasi judicial matter, because it was a matter legislated for by the scottish parliament and not by us. it was a matter over which we could not interfere and had no control over the final outcome. >> now, the issue with that statement, "the times" of london report that's weeks before al megrahi's release, a british government minister sent a letter to the scotts suggesting they let the convicted terrorist go. according to "the times," peter mendelson, british's minister said he discussed it twice this year in meetings with gadhafi's son, including one talk a week before the announcement, though he denied negotiating any release in exchange for oil deals. yesterday, an emergency session of parliament, the scottish justice secretary who freed al megrahi, blamed the prisoner transfer agreement by former prime minister tony blair as

abdelbaset ali al-megrahi was freed early from a scottish jail on compassionate grounds. they are denying the real reason was to smooth commercial relations with libya. we have more. >> outrage. a hero's welcome. >> the end of abdelbaset ali al- megrahi's journey, but only the beginning of the row would follow. the reception he received sparked an angry reaction in the united states. the white house said it was sending out the wrong message. >> i think the images that we saw in libya yesterday were outrageous and disgusting. we continue to express our condolences to the families who lost loved ones as a result of this terrorist murder. >> the libyans have been warned. within an hour of the plane leaving last, a letter was delivered from gordon brown. in it, the prime minister asked libyans to act with "sensitivity." he said it must be seen as a low-key return. clearly the message was confused or ignored. libyan save the letter only concerned economic exchange and bilateral relations. so far, there has been no sense of triumph from government ministers. in 11 days time, he

al megrahi was convicted of placing a bomb.omb that was believed to be in a cassette player inside a suitcase put onboard an air malta jet and transferred to another plane in frankfurt that went to london's heathrow -- >> mike, stand by, just one second. josh levs is standing by over here. josh, as mike talks about this y know you have pictures and names of the victims. can you let mike talk over us? josh levs is checking in on what's going on online and also on the social networking sites and if you can tell us about some of the pictures and he has the names of the victims or just show them. mike, continue with your thought and we'll get josh levs in here and get pictures of the victims. go ahead as this plane is taxiing. >> pictures of the 189 americans and, again, we remind our viewers, this was the deadliest terrorist attack against americans up until 9/11. if we did finally get somebody and convict them of the 9/11 bombing and someone decided to let them out of prison after serving eight years, how do you think the uproar

jon: well, al-megrahi's lawyer has been speaking out tonight. what does he say? he talks about the ordeal he went through, sitting in a jail, he says unfairly convicted. here is what the lawyer had to say. >> i had to endure being jailed for something i did not do. i have lived under the shadow with the wrong this of my conviction. >> jon, he served eight years of that conviction, released on compassionate grounds. tomorroramadan starts in, and ty be why he was sent back. jon: -- ramadan starts said. jon: what do you think? you can go online and vote. now, to health care. just hours ago, president obama took a shot to answer some questionsç in a liveç radio interview at the white house, and the caller is did not hold back. there has been a lot of controversy about what is in the health-care bill, and the president said there are four key points. number one, it would have to avoid adding to the federal deficit, so we would have to find a way to pay for it. number two, it would actually have to reduce the costs of health care. number three, it would have to protec

his name is abdel baset al megrahi.elieve this is the convoy that is taking him from the prison where he had been sentenced for the 1988 bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie, scotland. in 2001 he was convicted and sentenced. but a scottish judge says because he has prostate cancer and is going to die, that scottic law required him to release megrahi on compassionate grounds, but now megrahi gets to go home to libya. live pictures from scotland. in. with more calcium and vitamin d... to support bone and breast health... while helping you hydrate. one a day women's 2o. refreshingly healthy. ...or if you're already sick... ...or if you lose your job. your health insurance shouldn't either. so let's fix health care. if everyone's covered, we can make health care as affordable as possible. and the words "pre-existing condition" become a thing of the past... we're america's health insurance companies. supporting bipartisan reform that congress can build on. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffering fr

scottish authorities have released abdel basset ali al megrahi on compassionate grounds. he has had terminal prostate cancer and returned to libya today. family members of the flight victims are outraged. the obama administration is denouncing abdel basset ali al megrahi's release. >>> the presidential election in afghanistan was disrupted by the taliban today. at least 26 people were killed in rocket attacks and bombings near polling places. the violence was centered in southern afghanistan in a more peaceful area. millions of people lined up to. preliminary results are expected saturday. >>> there is a new push to extend metro rail further in a northern virginia. virginia delegate paul nichols hopes to extend the blue line to potomac mills in woodbridge. congressman jerry connelly wants to extend the orange line to centreville. connelly is hoping to get funding for feasibility study from a transportation bill that's making its way through congress. >>> coming up in this hour of "news4 at 6:00," we will tell you about a counterfeit bust at a mall in virginia. there is a

al megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. >> reporter: after boarding his flight home, megrahi who always maintained he is innocent and was appealing his conviction issued a statement. >>> to those victims' ril tifz who can bear to here me say this -- they continue to have my sincere sympathy. this horrible ordeal is not ended by my return to libya it may never end for me until i die. >> reporter: there are those who support megrahi's release, jim swire lost his daughter flora on the flight. >> i think there should always be a place in any nation's behavior for compassion. >> reporter: innocent dying man or mass murderer set free, megrahi's release leaves many doubts about whether justice has been served. but when he arrived home in tripoli tonight wearing a dark suit, hundreds of cheering supporters were waiting for him. it was expected megrahi would be celebrated on his return to libya. most people there don't think he is guilty, think he was a scapegoat. and few seem to be heeding the state department's warning that his return be kept low key. that he not be made in

. >> abdel basset ali al megrahi. sentence impose bid a higher power. one that no court in any jurisdiction in any land could revoke or overrule. it is terminal fatal and irrevocable. he's going to die. >> stephanie gosk has more on the release and reaction to it. >> reporter: 270 people were killed when pan am flight 103 blew up over scotland more than 20 years ago. only one suspect was convicted for the attack and now that man, abdel basset ali al megrahi, who was serving a life sentence in scotland, has been set free. scottish officials announced today the 57-year-old from libya has been granted an early release from prison. >> it is my decision that mr. abdel basset ali al megrahi convicted in 2001 for the lockerbie bombing, now terminally ill with prostate cancer, released on passionate grounds. >> reporter: after serving eight years in priso oprison, megrahi back to libya. >> we thought it was a mistake. we are now in contact with the libyan government and want to make sure that he's not welcomed back in some way but instead should be under house

al megrahi kill 270 people?d by a scottish court. >> is it normal procedure in scotland that someone, a convicted mass murderer who gets cancer is free to go home to his wife and family? >> well, frankly, in scotland we don't have many convicted mass murderers. this tragedy devastated our country as it did the lives of people in the united states and elsewhere. >> is there any precedent in scotland where a mass murderer, someone who killed 270 people in cold blood, has been freed to go home to his wife and family because he's suffering from cancer? >> this crime is unprecedented in our small country. it's actually the worst atrocity, terrorist atrocity ever perpetrated anywhere within the united kingdom. so it's a circumstance that has never happened before, and i hope that it's a circumstance that will never reoccur. >> are there precedents where murderers, just regular murderers, someone who killed someone in cold blood and served only a very small portion of his or her sentence has been free to go home and sp

a scottish judge granted a compassionate release to al- megrahi. he was sent home dying from prostate cancer. >> i feel ill. i feel physically ill. that is the most misplaced compassion i can imagine. >> we just released a man committed of massacring 170 people. we have given state sponsored terrorism a victory and the families have to watch this. this is the last sad chapter in this odyssey. >> president obama said scotland maid a mistake and should not have released him. >> we are now in contact with the libyan government and want to make sure that if in fact this transfer has taken place, that he is not welcomed back in some way, but instead should be under house arrest. >> al-megrahi is now home in libya. thousands on hand to greet him. >>> investigators are hoping for a tip to help solve an arson spree. they are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads them to the person who torched straw and hay bails and even mailboxes early tuesday morning. audrey barnes picks up the story. >> reporter: fifth generation farmer says 600 bails of h

they say the big fish escaped justice and now al-megrahi has, too. >> they are members of the j.a.l., the libyan intelligence agency, and we feel it was state ordered. megrahi himself. >> everybody on that plane has something to offer. whole families were lost. a 2-year-old baby. this is just incomprehensible that they would let this man go home. >> reporter: she has published some of miriam's writings and written a book of her own. she says miriam's spirit must live on to show what was lost of the world by an act of terrorism. >> to send him home in comfort to his family? it's just an outrage. >> reporter: in severna park, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >>> columnist and former cnn crossfire co-host robert novak will be laid to rest. he died tuesday after a long battle with cancer. funeral services will be held right there in northwest d.c. novak sparked major controversy after revealing the identity of yia operative valerie plame. he retired last august. robert novak was 78 years old. >>> wal-mart is recalling more than a half million dvd players because they could overheat and bur

is now addressing the release of lockerbie bomber al-megrahi. the f.b.i. director robert moeller blasting that move, saying it gives, quote, comfort to terrorists. 1988 bombing killed 270 people. >> in kentucky a prison set on fire. this happened during a massive riot. burning six buildings. four inmates are in the hospital. hundreds more being sent to other prisons throughout that state. >>> president obama about to take his very first week long vacation as commander in chief. he's heading to the exclusive island of martha's vineyard off massachusetts. >> they would never let a guy like me on that island. it's a fancy place. i do not want to go to martha's vineyard. speaking of which, because that island is under a tropical storm warning due to hurricane bill. the storm churning in the atlantic, packing strong winds, bringing dangerous rip currents to the eastern coast line. domenica davis tracking that storm live in the fox weather center. >> hi, gregg. it has to be tough for these life guards today because they have to keep telling people, out of the wa

brown reiterated that it was a scottish decision to release al megrahi but even there there was i did may at library yeah's behavior. >> i don't agree with the reduction mr. megrahi was given, it was certainly poorly advised. but, you know, we can't control what the libyan government and the libyan people do. all we're in control of is what the scottish government and the scottish justice system can do. >> colonel gadhafi's son -- despite number 10 trying to distance itself from that decision but downing street has now weighed in warning libya that how it handles his release will be looked at by everyone and will influence what countries think. but today, the conservative leader wrote to gordon brown criticizing his failure to say what he thought of megrahi's return to libya writing it is curious that while others have commented, britain's own prime minister has not. i believe that the public are entitled to know what you think of the decision to release megrahi. one man, who's unlikely to be heading to libya, the duke of york. his plan to visit tripoli on a trade mission next months

the possibility of an early release for al megrahi has divided some relatives of those who died. >> thereno compassion shown for the 270 victims who were murdered, and so i think we have shown him more compassion than he showed his victims. >> i should be very delighted if he does go home to his family to die. and i'm very pleased to hear they are encouraging thorlts to use compassionate release. >> after al megrahi's conviction, they denounced terrorism and libya's relations with the west started to improve. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton was in liberia today as she neared the end of her 11-day visit to africa. the west african nation found by freed american slaves is led by the continent's first democratically elected female president. and today clinton had strong praise for ellen johnson-sirleaf and her accomplishments. despite a recent apology for johnson-sirleaf for giving an example to charles taylor, an infamiliar lus warlord and later liberia's president. tayl liberia's leader at the end of 14 years of a brutal civil war. and it was the advent of a woman's movement earlier

al-megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. it is one that no court in any jurisdiction in any land could revoke or overruled. >> polls have closed in afghanistan after a day of voting for the presidential election. counting has begun. 15 million were eligible to vote, but it looks as though taliban threats kept many away from the polling stations. welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. coming up later, the suspected hijackers of the cargo ship bound in west africa on monday are back in moscow. and lightning strikes twice as usain bolt breaks another world record, this time in the 200 meter. hello to you. the man convicted for the lockerbie bombing has arrived in libya, facing death from terminal cancer. for that reason, released early from his life sentence by the scholars -- scottish government. abdelbaset ali al-megrahi issued a statement, including his sympathy for the unimaginable loss of family members and again pleaded his innocence. the white house condemned the dec

abdel baset al-megrahi was released from a scottish prison after take being part in the 1988 bombing that killed 200 -- 270 people. the doctors say that he has terminal cancer and will only live a few more months. >>> afghanistan people cast their votes yesterday. straight now both the president and his top challenger are declaring victory. but the official reports will not come out some time tomorrow at the earliest. >>> investors are looking to ride three days of gain into the weekend. many recent reports suggest that the economy is continuing to rebound. but critics point out that they point to a drop in the asian markets and warning investors not to get ahead of theirselves. they say it is only creeping toward a recovery. japan's index did take a hit. but the london, french and german markets are showing gains as of this hour. >>> hoping to put the brakes on a five game losing streak, the orioles come out swinging against the tampa bay raise last night. the raise would make it close at within point in the game. but the oriole was never lose the lead down the stream and win 8- --

but was al megrahi part of that prisoner agreement? that's where it all gets a bit murky. >> was the only man convicted of the lockerbie bombing and murder of 270 people released in return for 15 billion pounds of oil rights? tony blair visited colonel khadafy to talk oil and the blanket prisoner transfer agreement that could see al megrahi sent back to tripoli. but the british had pledged to the americans that he'd serve his sentence in scotland. the oil deal stalled. it's now emerged that jack straw changed britain's position and in a letter to kenny mccaskill, the scottish justice secretary at the end of 2007 wrote -- the wider negotiations are reaching a critical stage and in a few of the overwhelming interests of the united kingdom, i have agreed that in this instance, the prisoner transfer agreement should be in the standard form and not mention any individuals. six weeks later libya ratified the oil agreement. megrahi was now in theory eligible to be transferred home. so does it amount to megrahi for oil? it is all academic. a t

al megrahi served eight years of a life sentence.scottish officials released him because he's dying of prostate cancer. 270 people lost their lives in the christmas week 1988 bombing. the majority of those killed were americans. many of the victims' families say they're outraged that al megrahi has been released. >> it is absolutely sickening when you say compassion y feel ill, i feel physically ill. if that is the most misplaced compassion, i can imagine. i mean, we could weep for adolf hitler there and maybe mousselimussolini and we sld feel story for these people, i guess. >> some of the victims believe megrahi was a scapegoat and it's not clear who carried out the bombing of pan am 103. >> i want to see the clergy of the justice which is justice for the relatives of the victims and also justs for people generally because until we know the full answer to lockerbie, we should be left in doubt. >> we've been asking your views on all this today. what do you think of the scottish government's decision to release the lockerbie's bomber

. >> al megrahi was freed on humanitarian grounds. on cnn's "situation room," wolf blitzer pressed scottish official kenny macaskill. >> is there any precedent where a mass murderer has been freed to go home to his wife and family because he's suffering from cancer? >> this crime is unprecedented in our small country. it's actually the worst atrocity, terrorist atrocity, ever perpetrated anywhere within the united kingdom. in scotland, justice is equally tempered with mercy. >> in just a bit, you're going to hear from the brother of one of al megrahi's victims. >>> in washington tonight, an early exit for a government program too pricey and popular to survive. >> the cash for clunkers program winding down. the government says the popular program will end-month-o monday >> car owners can get up to $4,500. well, at 8:00 p.m. eastern time on monday, all that paperwork must be submitted. >> dealers must front the money, sometimes to the tunes of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the government has been slow to pay them back. >> of the

al megrahi, a sentence imposed by higher power.ne that no court in any jurisdiction in any land could revoke or overrule. >> nbc's dawnna friesen joins me now from glasgow, scotland. dawnna, can you tell us what went into the minister's decision to free al megrahi? >> reporter: yeah. well, he said a couple of things about that, nancy. first of all, he made it clear that he knows many people will not agree with his decision, because people feel so deeply about this. but he said that he followed scottish law. he followed due process. and under that law, it gives power to the justice secretary to release prisoners on compassionate grounds. he said, it doesn't specify exactly what those grounds are, but guidance from the past has suggested that when a prisoner is suffering a terminal illness and is believed to have only three months left to live, then, you know, it may be considered to release that person on compassionate grounds. now, he went to great lengths, he says, to have mr. megrahi examined. the last prisoner/doctor examination

al-megrahi convicted of the killing, but released early on the grounds that cancer has brought him closeto death. from jail to a jubilant welcome in libya -- from confinement, to global controversy. scots are deeply unhappy with the decision. polls conducted by icm research interviewed 1000 people throughout scotland. the finding suggests that 74% believe scotland's reputation has been damaged, while 60% believe al-megrahi should not been released. it's got this government insists this was a quality-judicial decision prompted by mercy to a dying man. scots are skeptical. 68% think the other factors played a part. and street insist the prime minister played no part in the decision, but our polls suggest, gordon brown's reputation has been damaged. the real political hit is in scotland. 76% wreck and the standing of the scottish government has been damaged. -- reckoned the standing of the scottish government has been damaged. right now, the scottish flag is hanging just a little limply. >> the latest headlines for you on "bbc world news." the couple convicted of obstructing jaycee dugard -

ali mohmed al megrahi was convicted in 2001. he has terminal prostate cancer and only has three months to live. scotland decided to release him on compassionate grounds and let him die at his home in libya. his plane landed a short time ago. this is video we're just getting in. this is disturbing. he gets a hero's welcome. there you see it. festive songs. t-shirts. his picture on it. couldn't even imagine. many of the families of the victims outraged. he gets mercy. what about the victims? we'll take your calls. 877-tell-hln. here to talk about this, let's welcome back kendall coffey and also with us kathleen flynn. her son died in the attack some 20 years ago. kathleen, this has to be a nightmare for you to see this man free today. >> it's more than that. it's also that we feel that scotland has betrayed us. this incredible compassionate release has thrown us for a loop. we just cannot believe it. we're very saddened by it. angry frankly. >> kathleen, did you see this coming? >> absolutely not. in a million years i did not see

they gave a convicted -- >> eric: a flag waving confetti throwing crowd as abdel basset mohamed al-megrahi arrived home as you can see to cheering crowds that included the leader of libya, libyan leader moammar gadhafi on the left and he was embraced by gadhafi him search a spectacle branded this morning as sickening and all of this proof that libya still has a, quote, love affair with terrorism, says senator charles schumer and is calling for u.n. security council resolution condemning libya, but goes who is the member of the security council? libya. >> jamie: good morning, everyone i'm jamie colby. >> eric: i'm eric sean and many say it was bad enough scotland decided to frae the only person ever convicted of bombing pan am flight 103 that killed 207 people, 186 of them were our fellow citizens, americans. three days later, we're finding anger over the homecoming celebration continues to resonate. across our country. joining us now on the telephone is congressman fiphil gingrey, republican from georgia, what are your thoughts on a potential u.n. resolution by the obama administration con

lockerbie bomber set free for oil. >> "the sunday times" headline is suggesting the lockerbie bomber al megrahif mr. megrahi. >> reporter: the paper says an oil exploration deal between libya and british company bp was only ratified by libya's parliament after the british government agreed a prisoner transfer deal between the countries would not exclude al megrahi specifically. britain's justice secretary jack straw admits the government had pushed for al megrahi not to be eligible for transfer under the agreement but libya refused and britain relented. the deal always allowed for the scottish government to veto any transfer. al megrahi's application under the transfer agreement was refused by the scottish government. instead, he was released under scottish law on compassionate grounds because he's dying of cancer. scotland's first minister insists justice was his government's only consideration. >> a difficult, controversial decision, a challenging decision. let's take it for the right reasons and the right reasons were to release a dying man on compassionate grounds. >> reporter: this report

>> the situation of al-megrahi is so bad, worsening by the minute, no reason why he should not be the least of a prison for it -- either a prisoner transfer or compassionate grounds. >> that is key, isn't it? because when you are talking about compassionate grounds at least under scottish law, he has to be in imminent danger of death. >> it would serve no purpose to keep them in prison because that would have-or very serious repercussions of libyan-british relations if he died in prison because the same compassion used for other criminals -- he delivers -- deserves released immediately. >> i can imagine. i don't want to put words in people's mouths. but i can imagine that some of the american relatives we heard from who are very angry about even the possibility he might be released, when they hear you say this could affect relations with libya, it will sound to them, i sing, like a threat. >> i can assure you the scottish -- they did not take note of that all. looking at the reports and compiled -- compiled by the scottish doctors, medical specialists,. and therefore now have to look