Hillary Clinton has condemned the early release of the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, accusing the Scottish government of ignoring "repeated" US demands to keep him in prison until he died.
The US secretary of state said the first anniversary today of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's early release from prison was "regrettable".
Intensifying the pressure on Alex Salmond, the first minister, she implied strongly that Megrahi's release, and his continued survival long beyond the three months predicted by Scottish ministers, meant justice for the families of the dead had been denied.
Clinton said the US "continues to categorically disagree with the decision" to allow the former Libyan intelligence agent to return to Tripoli as a free man.
A US embassy memo sent to the Scottish ministers before Megrahi was released argued against his release, but accepted the Libyan could be freed to live at home or in hospital in Scotland. It also urged ministers to get rigorous external medical advice to prove Megrahi was close to death, advice they ignored.
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