Shady business in Britain: On Friday, Lord Trefgarne, the head of the Libyan British Trade Council, said that the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi opened the way for British oil companies to negotiate multibillion-dollar oil contracts with Libya, which had demanded al-Megrahi’s release in return for access. “Perhaps now, with the final resolution of the Lockerbie affair, as far as the Libyans are concerned, maybe they’ll move a bit more swiftly,” Lord Trefgarne said. Meanwhile, Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi greeted al-Megrahi with a hug, and praised Scotland’s “courageously right and humanitarian decision" to release him, as well as thanking his "friend Gordon Brown," the Queen, and Prince Andrew in helping to secure his release. Britain's business secretary said the suggestion that the bomber was released to ease trade deals was "completely wrong" and "offensive."
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