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Britain, Scotland to show Lockerbie correspondence
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-01 23:39

LONDON: A newly disclosed letter shows Britain's Foreign Office advised Scottish officials there were no legal obstacles to returning the Pan Am Flight 103 bomber to his native Libya.

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The letter published Tuesday shows diplomats explained that Britain had never made a binding promise to the United States to keep Abdel Baset al-Megrahi jailed in Scotland.

Al-Megrahi was jailed for the 1988 bombing that killed 270 people - mainly Americans.

The Foreign Office told Scotland's government that ministers "did not give the US an absolute commitment" to keep al-Megrahi jailed.

Officials said only Scotland's government could decide whether to send the convict home, but noted there was no "definitive commitment, legal or otherwise," to prevent it.